Lei Muzi, a 13-year-old girl from China, made history by performing Bharatanatyam ‘Arangetram’ in her country. This event marks an important step for the ancient Indian dance form, which is becoming more popular in China.  

Muzi made her solo dance debut in front of the famous Bharatanatyam dancer Leela Samson, Indian diplomats, and a large audience of Chinese fans. 

What is an ‘Arangetram’? 

For passionate Chinese fans of Indian classical art and dance who have dedicated years to mastering and showcasing these forms, her debut marked a historic moment. 

It was the first-ever ‘Arangetram’ in China, which is the debut ceremony for Bharatnatyam. For South Indian dancers, Arangetram, known as such in Tamil, is their first performance on stage before teachers, experts, and an audience. After completing their Arangetram, students can perform independently. 

Why is ‘Arangetram’ so important? 

All classical dancers and musicians take part in the Arangetram ceremony once they complete their training. This ceremony serves two main purposes: 

• It signifies that the classical dancer has completed their formal training. 

• It is also the dancer’s first performance on stage after the completion of their training. 

Arangetram is an important milestone for classical dancers undergoing training. People have followed this tradition for a very long time. 

TS Vivekanand, the First Secretary of the Indian Embassy in charge of Culture, stated, ‘This is the first-ever Arangetram by a student fully trained in China and performed in China’. He said, ‘She performed the dance form properly in a very traditional way’. 

Lei’s Bharatanatyam Decade-Long Training Under Jin Shan Shan 

Chinese Bharatnatyam dancer Jin Shan Shan, who trained Lei, highlighted that Lei’s Arangetram marks the first time a Chinese student. A Chinese teacher, who had performed in China, trained her, marking it as a significant moment in the history of Bharatnatyam.

Lei has been trained for over 10 years under Jin, who was the first dancer to perform her Arangetram in 1999 in New Delhi after receiving training from notable Chinese dancer Zhang Jun. Jin has performed numerous times and gained recognition as an artist in both China and India. 

Why don’t we hear about Arangetram often? 

We all are familiar with celebrations like baby showers, birthdays, Haldi and mehndi and all other traditions, so why it remains fairly unknown to many people.

This raises the question: Has urban India, with modernization and digitization has lost touch with its roots? Lei’s performance brings the rich cultural heritage of India back in spotlight.