Lei Muzi, a 13-year-old girl from China, is spreading the tradition and beauty of Indian culture to other countries. She recently became the first to perform "Arangetram", the traditional Bharatnatyam graduation ceremony in the country. Muzi reportedly performed the ceremony earlier this week in front of the highly acclaimed Bharatnatyam dancer and choreographer, Leela Samson, in addition to several Indian diplomats.
Who Is Lei Muzi?
The Arangetram is the customary ascension to the stage for a Bharatnatyam student. It is the first time a student is allowed to perform independently, after full training of course, after which they can perform on their own and even take up training pupils. Students generally perform the ceremony in front of their teachers, family, guests, and other adept Bharatnatyam professionals.
With this Arangetram performance, young Muzi has literally 'set the stage' for further headway in the spread of Bharatnatyam and classic Indian culture in neighbouring countries.
The Chinese Arangetram
Jin Shan Shan told PTI, "Lei’s Arangetram is the first time that Chinese students trained by a Chinese teacher have completed in China, which is a landmark in the history of Bharatanatyam inheritance," who is a Chinese Bharatanatyam dancer and Lei's mentor. Jin is also the first known Chinese woman to complete her training in Bharatnatyam, with her Arangetram taking place in 1999 in New Delhi, her guru being Leela Samson herself.
The ceremony was performed in a completely traditional manner, where no ritual was left out. The two-hour ceremony reportedly attracted a large number of people and was accompanied by Indian classical music with musicians who had flown in from Chennai for this purpose. Lei will also be flown to Chennai to perform later this month.
Lei has been practising Bharatnatyam for ten years now, since joining Jin's dance school in 2014.
"I completely fell in love with it. I kept dancing till now. For me, Bharatanatyam is not only a beautiful art and dance form but also the embodiment of Indian culture,'' Lei said, telling PTI. ''This fascinates me greatly, as well as the gorgeous and graceful movements during a dance item. Overall, I extremely love Bharatanatyam. For me, it is already a daily activity to do, and I am truly interested in the culture of India.''
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