Vision-Aid’s annual dance productions have become a New England tradition of their own – a remarkable event that the entire community looks forward to with anticipation. This year’s show comes to audiences in a hybrid mode – allowing viewers to choose watching the show in person at a live screening or virtually from the comfort of their homes on July 31st, 2021 at 4 PM US EST, while still preserving the creative, dazzling flavor which have set these shows apart in a category of their own.
While COVID-19 continues to pose challenges, the innovative team leading this year’s effort is finding creative ways to make the show as memorable and vibrant as ever.
The event also aspires to raise much-needed funds for the visually impaired in India – a community which has been especially hard hit by the fallout from the pandemic, at all levels.
For more details of the show, to buy tickets, or to become a sponsor, please visit www.VisionAid.org/event
Following in the footsteps of 14 brilliant sold-out performances, Vision-Aid is delighted to present Guru Madurai R. Muralidaran’s “The Jewel of Justice – the saga of Kannagi” – another stellar, mega production, bringing to life a vibrant choreography inspiring one and all based on thetimeless Tamil epic – Silapathigaram!
This dazzling show is produced by renowned choreographer Kalaimamani Guru Madurai R. Muralidaran, assisted by Artistic Directors Jeyanthi Ghatraju, Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy, Marishakthi Muthuswamy and Aishwarya Chakravarthy, pulling together over 50 talented dancers from the New England area. The Artistic Directors are ably supported by talented dance mentors Shruthi Lakshmi Narayan, Subha Kannath, Chitanya Gopu, Kalaimangai Anbalgan and Shilpa Narayanan.
For more details of the show, to buy tickets, or to become a sponsor, please visit www.VisionAid.org
In the words of the Founding Co-Producer of Vision-Aid productions, Jeyanthi Ghatraju, “A strong team can take any crazy vision and turn it into reality. – John Carmack
The craziest and wisest visionaries of the world know that to make their dreams come true, they need a strong and loyal team to work with. When people combine their skills and motivate each other, any crazy vision becomes reasonable and possible.
Please come watch this marvelous Broadway style musical unfold with over 50 dancers and artists telling the compelling story from the earliest epic poem from 5th century, clad with ancient traditions, stupendous accounts of folk dances and martial arts, strikingly dynamic scenes of love and tragic death, all under the meticulous guidance of the world-known director, Kalaimamani Madurai R. Muralidaran.”
Vision-Aid Artistic Director Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy added “Nearly 50 dancers have brought their passion for dance in support of Vision-Aid’s mission to make an impact on the daily lives of so many visually impaired people throughout India. Kalaimamani Madurai R. Muralidaran’s music and special effects are guaranteed to bring this classic story to life. Please come be entertained, support the efforts of so many budding dancers and make a real difference in someone’s life.”
Special thanks to the Videography Team of Krish Velmurugan of KrispFotos, Kanth Ghatraju and Maneesh Shrivastava who worked tirelessly with the creative genius of Madurai R. Muralidharan to bring this production to life. Thanks also to Meyyappan Meyyappan of Kolam Media Creations for the photo collage of the amazing dancers in this production.
The Producer
The concept and choreography for this production are by Madurai R Muralidaran of Chennai, India, a renowned dance choreographer, composer, and musician, who has won critical acclaim for his creations in Bharatanatyam. He has composed over 120 varnams, produced several dance dramas, composed Pushpanjalis, Alarippus, Jathiswarams, Mallaris, Varnams and Thillanas in all the 35 thalams and Jathiswarams in all 72 Melakartha ragas, unprecedented in the field of Bharatha Natyam. He has over 300 compositions to his credit. He is ably assisted by his talented wife and acclaimed choreographer- Smt. Chithra Muralidharan.
His productions in support of Vision-Aid, Krishna (2009), Justice of the Anklet (2010), Slaying of the Demons (2012), The Dancer’s Pledge (2014), The Iconic Avatar (2016), Charmer, Warrior, Guide (2017), Golden Armor, Golden Heart (2018), Invincible Spear (2019), Shakthi – the Essence of the Empowered Woman (2020), and The Seven Selfless Sovereigns (2021) still has audiences in Boston talking!
The Artistic Directors
The Artistic Directors for this amazing production are: Jeyanthi Ghatraju, Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy, Marishakthi Muthuswamy and Aishwarya Chakravarthy.
Jeyanthi Ghatraju is a Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer with a mission to perform for charity and the Founding Artistic Director of Vision-Aid productions since 2009. She is the Founder of Natyanjali dance school in Westford, MA which celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2019! It is affiliated with the Alagappa Performing Arts Academy, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, India and offers Certificate, Diploma and Degree programs in Performing Arts online. Jeyanthi was awarded the coveted US Presidential Gold Service Award in 2013 and again in 2018 for her community service and is the recipient of Massachusetts Cultural Council grants in 2019 and 2020.
Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy isa dancer, teacher and choreographer. She has been actively involved in several Vision-Aid productions since 2010, serving as an Artistic Director for the past four years. In 1999, she co-founded MIT Natya, one of the first collegiate Indian classical dance organizations in the nation. She pursues advanced training under Guru Madurai R. Muralidaran and is Founder Director of Abhinaya Natyashala in Framingham, MA.
Mari Shakthi Muthuswamy, is the artistic director of the Bharatanatyam school, “Anvita Natyalaya” in Newton, MA. She received training in Bharatanatyam from Guru Sri Kalaimamani S.K.Kameswaran & Natya Tilakam Smt. Saroja Kameshwaran and has performanced in many fundraisers, productions and temple festivals in India and in the US.
Aishwarya Chakravarthy is the founder and artistic director of Natyakshetram in Connecticut. She is a student of Koothambalam and trained under the Aravindans. She is a recipient of several prestigious awards and recognitions including a dance scholarship from the Central Govt of India (CCRT).
Senior Dancers and Mentors
Shruthi Lakshmi Narayan is a Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer. Trained by her mother Smt. Jayashree Narayan and Gurus Smt.Supriya Komandur, Sri Kiran Subramaniam & Smt.Sandhya Kiran,she has performed at several prestigious dance festivals and organizations and is also trained in Carnatic music. Shruthi is also a designer by profession, a visual artist and an avid Sanskrit enthusiast.
Subha Kannath, a dancer by passion and an IT leader by profession, is trained in the Indian classical dance forms, Bharathanatyam and Mohiniyattom, in the Kalamandalam style. She has collaborated with artists to deliver performances that benefit various charitable organizations, including Vision-Aid, MSS, etc. An ardent believer in the spiritual essence inherent in this artistic genre and the physical/mental resilience it imparts, her focus is to influence younger talents to develop and sustain zeal in the practice of this art form.
Chitanya Gopu, completed her Master’s degree at Carnegie Mellon University and is working in environmental engineering. She completed her arangetram in 2013 with Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy and is now an assistant teacher at her dance school Abhinaya Natyashala. She has been involved with Vision-Aid productions since 2010, and is excited to be a part of the production as well as mentoring younger dancers and taking an active role in teaching and organizing the pieces.
Kalaimangai Anbalgan, an accomplished dancer and artistic director of AmudhaSri Dance School, Shrewsbury MA, has featured in major dance festivals in Asia and South Africa. She has won several awards for “Excellence in dance” by ISW, Worcester & Power Global Award by Shrewsbury Town Cultural Council. She has organized many fundraising dance productions for institutions such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Adyar Cancer, Genesis Foundation, UMass Pancreatic Cancer Research and others.
Shilpa Narayanan works as a clinical research coordinator at Sage Therapeutics. She completed her arangetram in 2013 and continues to learn from Guru Sujatha Meyyappan, and is also assistant teacher for Kolam Academy of Dance. Shilpa began her Vision-Aid journey in 2012 and has performed at several events and competitions around the New England area.
The amazing dancers in this show by ensemble and location as well as order of appearance in the show –
Thank you to supporting Actors – Vijay Moorthy, Inian Parthasarathy, Padma Reddy, Lara Scaria
Ensemble Group 1 – Connecticut –
Anushri Sandeep, Eepsitha Muppasani, Jyotsna Venkat, Shreeya Gomathinayagam
Spriha Dharan, Sreenidi Bala
Ensemble Group 2 – Central A –
Aarya Atale, Amal Balachundhar, Anika Kagalavadi, Arineemal Kaul, Dhruthi Kondamareddy, Kavya Krishnan, Sarayu Gadam, Sonia Lakshmanan, Viritha Reddy
Ensemble Group 3 – North A –
Anusha Sambangi, Arthi Vithiananthan, Divya Vijayakumar, Janani Shanmugam, Kaviya Vijayakumar, Medha Bashyam, Oviya Inian, Pavaani Ganeshkumar, Shriyaa Anandakumar, Shriya Bala
Ensemble Group 4 – South A –
Anushka Diddee, Ananya Kumar, Ashmita Boopathy, Hamsa Shanmugam, Karthiayani Harikrishnan, Katya Scaria, Praksitha Rajasekaran, Vaidehi Moorthy
Ensemble Group 5 – Central B –
Anvita Venkatesh, Bala Muthukaruppan, Dyuthi Prashanth, Gauri Ajay Dani, Shreya Kalavur
Ensemble Group 6 – South B –
Akshadha Ghantasala, Anika Nambiar, Avantika Nair, Harini Jeyaraman
Ensemble Group 7 – North B
Abinayya Appusamy, Chetana Yella, Deepthi Bharath, Aanya Challuri, Aarna Mahadevan
About the Performers
Ensemble Group 1 – Connecticut
Anushri Sandeep, a rising junior at South Windsor High School, has been learning Bharathanatyam for the past 10 years from Guru Aishwarya Chakravarthy and has completed her arangetram. She also learns Carnatic and Western violin and vocal, and is a part of her school’s show choir. Anushri is thrilled to be part of this production to support the great cause of Vision-Aid.
Eepsitha Muppasani, a rising senior at Granby Memorial High School, learns Bharathanatyam from Smt. Aishwarya Chakravarthy and has completed her arangetram. A Bollywood dance instructor at PnP dance crew, she also enjoys playing basketball and piano. She is delighted to support the great cause of Vision-Aid.
Jyotsna Venkat, a rising freshman from Avon, Connecticut, is a passionate dancer, and has been learning dance from Guru Aishwarya Chakravarthy. She is also a star saxophone player and a novice Carnatic vocalist. She has truly enjoyed participating in this Vision-Aid performance and aspires to do her arangetram next year.
Shreeya Gomathinayagam, is a rising Junior, student body Vice President and Student Ambassador at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. She is preparing for her Bharathanatyam arangetram under Guru Aishwarya Chakravarthy’s guidance. She also plays Basketball, is a member of the Science Olympiad team and is grateful for the opportunity to support the noble cause of Vision-Aid.
Spriha Dharan, a rising Sophomore at Avon High School in Connecticut, has been learning Barathnatyam for the past 7 years and is currently a student of Guru Aishwarya Chakravarthy. She is an avid reader, poet, and runs both Track and Cross Country. She is appreciative for the chance to support a valuable cause like Vision-Aid.
Sreenidi Bala, a rising sophomore at Farmington High School, has been learning Bharatanatyam from Guru Aishwarya Chakravarthy for the past 6 years. She also learns Carnatic vocal from Guru Kamakshi Kalyanasundaram. A passionate dancer, she feels that Vision-Aid has only helped her love for the artform grow, and is immensely grateful for the opportunity to be among such talented dancers and support such a noble cause!
Ensemble Group 2 – Central A
Aarya Atale, Amal Balachundhar, Anika Kagalavadi, Arineemal Kaul, Dhruthi Kondamareddy,
Kavya Krishnan, Sarayu Gadam, Sonia Lakshmanan, Viritha Reddy
Aarya Atale is a rising 8th grader at Jonas Clarke Middle School, Lexington. She has been learning dance for the past 8 years from Smt. Kalpana Balachundhar. Aarya is very passionate about dancing, and is super excited to be participating in a Vision-Aid production for the third time.
Amal Balachundhar, a rising 7th grader in Lexington, learns dance from his mother, Smt. Kalpana Balachundhar. Amal is very passionate about music and arts.
Anika Kagalavadi, a rising senior at Westford Academy, learns fusion dance at DFD Academy and has learned Bharatanatyam from Smt. Sridevi Thirumulai and Smt. Jeyanthi Ghatraju. Anika enjoys playing tennis on her varsity team and violin. She is excited to be a part of her first Vision-Aid production and support this noble cause.
Arineemal Kaul, a sophomore at Westford Academy, learns Bharatanatyam from Smt. Jeyanthi Ghatraju. She has also learned from Smt. Sulakshana Jeyaram when she lived in Colorado. She enjoys dance, art, and music and is very excited to be a part of a Vision- Aid production for the first time.
Dhruthi Kondamareddy, a 6th grader at Groton Dunstable Regional Middle school, learns dance from Smt. Jeyanthi Ghatraju and in the past from Smt. Preethi Ramesh. She also learns keyboard, enjoys reading and participates in service activities as a girl scout. She is proud to be a part of this thought-provoking Vision-Aid program, serving her motherland.
Kavya Krishnan, is a rising freshman and is very excited to take part in a Vision-Aid. She has been learning Bharatanatyam from Smt Kalpana since 1st grade. She enjoys playing the piano, playing tennis, and participating in Robotics competitions
Sarayu Gadam is a rising 8th grader at East Middle School, Braintree. She currently learns Bharathanatyam from Smt. Jeyanthi Ghatraju and training under Smt. Swathi Anala in the past. She also learns Carnatic music and enjoys reading, playing tennis, and participating in service activities. She is thrilled to participate in her second Vision-Aid production and support this noble cause.
Sonia Lakshmanan, an 8th grader at Winchester High School, learns dance from Smt. Kalpana Balachundhar. A Black Belt in Taekwondo, Sonia leverages demanding physical training to build stamina. She is eager to help the Vision-Aid organization by participating in her third production for this noble cause.
Viritha Reddy, a rising junior at Lexington High School, learns dance from Smt. Kalpana Balachundhar and has been for 9 years now. Viri enjoys playing volleyball, drawing & painting in her free time. This is her 4th year performing in a Vision-Aid production.
Ensemble Group 3 – North A
Anusha Sambangi, Arthi Vithiananthan, Divya Vijayakumar, Janani Shanmugam, Kaviya Vijayakumar, Medha Bashyam, Oviya Inian, Pavaani Ganeshkumar, Shriyaa Anandakumar, Shriya Bala
Anusha Sambangi, a rising junior at Andover High School, has been learning dance for over 7 years from Smt. Sujatha Meyyappan. She really enjoyed her first year participating in a Vision-Aid production and is looking forward to being a part of Vision-Aid productions in the future as well.
Arthi Vithiananthan did her Bharathanatyam arangetram in 2018. She has participated in numerous performances and competitions, winning both solo and group prizes under Guru Aishwarya Balasubramanian’s guidance. Arthi is happy to take part in this Vision-Aid event.
Divya Vijayakumar, a rising junior at the Academy for Science and Design, has been learning dance for over 9 years from Guru Sujatha Meyyappan of Kolam Academy of Dance. This is her third year participating in Vision-Aid and is excited to continue to contribute in the future.
Janani Shanmugam, a rising freshman at Andover High School, has been learning dance from Smt. Sujatha Meyyapppan for 8 years. Her 2nd year with the Vision-Aid program, she is proud to be part of this noble cause. Janani is a calligraphy artist and has placed first several times in Math Kangaroo. She also learns carnatic music and enjoys traveling.
Kaviya Vijayakumar is a college student attending Suffolk University. She has been learning dance from Smt. Sujatha Meyyappan for over 13 years. She is excited to participate in her third Vision-Aid production this year and hopes to continue participating in the future.
Medha Bashyam, a rising 10th grader at Nashua High School South, has been learning dance from Smt.Sujatha Meyyappan for 9 years. This is her first time performing in a Vision-Aid production and she is very excited to continue dancing in Vision-Aid production for many years to come.
Oviya Inian, a rising sophomore at Chelmsford High School, has been learning dance for the past 8 years from Guru Sujatha Meyyappan of Kolam Academy of Dance. This is her 5th year performing in a Vision-Aid event and she really enjoys it.
Pavaani Ganeshkumar, a rising 10th grader, has been learning Bharathanatyam under Guru Aishwarya Balasubramanian for 6 years. She is happy to dance for the 2nd year in a Vision-Aid production and grateful that her passion for Bharathanatyam will positively impact lives.
Shriyaa Anandakumar, a rising sophomore at Andover High School, has been learning dance from Smt. Sujatha Meyyappan for over 9 years. She also learns Carnatic Music, and loves to swim.
Shriya Bala, a rising sophomore at Andover High, has been learning dance from Smt.Archana Naik. She loves to travel and is excited to dance for this worthy cause by participating in her 2nd Vision-Aid production.
Ensemble Group 4 – South A
Anushka Diddee, Ananya Kumar, Ashmita Boopathy, Hamsa Shanmugam, Karthiayani Harikrishnan, Katya Scaria, Praksitha Rajasekaran, Vaidehi Moorthy
Anushka Diddee, a Freshman in High School and enthusiastic Bharatanatyam dancer, loves dance and looks forward to learning new dance styles. She also enjoys singing Hindustani classical music, playing volleyball, and pursuing her passion for painting and art.
Ananya Kumar is a rising sophomore at Hopkinton High School. She has been learning Bharatanatyam from Smt. Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy for the past 7 years. She is extremely excited to be a part of her 4th Vision-Aid production.
Ashmita Boopathy, a rising sophomore at Franklin High School, is a student of Smt. Thenu Raajan. She is thankful to have this wonderful art in her life and this is her fourth year participating in a Vision-Aid production. She enjoys playing tennis and volleyball.
Hamsa Shanmugam has received her Bharatanatyam training from Smt. Sridevi Thirumalai and Smt. Kanya Ramachandran. Hamsa is a rising junior at Brown University’s 8-year direct medicine program.
Karthiayani Harikrishnan, is working as a scientist in a Biotech based company. She is currently receiving her Bharatanatyam training under Smt. Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy and this is her first time being a part of Vision-Aid production.
Katya Scaria, is a rising senior at Framingham High School and has been learning Bharatanatyam from Smt. Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy for over 11 years. She is very excited to be participating in her second Vision-Aid production.
Praksitha Rajasekaran, a rising sophomore at Moses Brown School, has been learning dance from Smt. Thenu Raajan for 8 years. She is also proud about placing 1st nationally in a French Contest and enjoys learning about science and learning new languages. She is excited to be part of a Vision-Aid event for the 3rd time!
Vaidehi Moorthy is a rising junior, training in Bharathanatyam under Smt. Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy and Kum. Kavya Muralidharan. She has been pursuing dance since the age of four and is grateful to participate in her 9th Vision-Aid production under Guru Muralidaran.
Ensemble Group 5 – Central B
Anvita Venkatesh, Bala Muthukaruppan, Dyuthi Prashanth, Gauri Ajay Dani, Shreya Kalavur
Anvita Venkatesh is learning Bharatanatyam from her mother, Guru Mari Muthuswamy as part of Anvita Natyalaya. She is an eighth grader and has a strong passion for the art of dance, plays guitar and is an avid tennis player.
Bala Venkat Muthukaruppan is Director of Product Operations in the Data Governance space, and mother of 2 boys (15, 7). Dance is her passion and she learns from Guru Mari Muthuswamy. She has performed in various cultural events in Boston. An active member in her community, Bala is currently the co-chair of the Needham Arts and Cultural Council, President of the Indian Community of Needham, VP of the Association of Talent Development, Boston Chapter and is thrilled to be part of the charitable cause of Vision-Aid.
Dyuthi Prashanth is a 14 year old dancer who has been learning Bharatanatyam at the Rasarang School of Performing Arts from Guru Smt.Poornima Risbud for the past 7 years. In her spare time, she likes to draw, play violin, build robots and take electronics apart. Dyuthi loves to dance and is excited to give back to the community through Vision-Aid 2022.
Gauri Ajay Dani is a Software Engineer by profession and has been dancing since childhood and participated in different dance programs. She learnt Kathak and Bharatnatyam as a child and is now learning Bharatnatyam under Guru Mari Muthuswamy.
Shreya Kalavur is a sophomore who has been learning Bharatanatyam for 7 years under Guru Poornima Risbud at the Rasarang School of Performing Arts. She enjoys dance, playing guitar, drawing, and learning new languages.
Ensemble Group 6 – South B
Akshadha Ghantasala, Anika Nambiar, Avantika Nair, Harini Jeyaraman
Akshadha Ghantasala, is a 6th grader at Hopkinton Middle School. She has been learning dance for the past 6 years. In her free time she enjoys reading and painting. This is her first Vision-Aid program.
Anika Nambiar, is a 5th grader at Ashland David Mindess School and learns Bharatanatyam from Guru Sripriya Natarajan Moorthy for 7 years. This is Anika’s 3rd year being a part of a Vision-Aid production and she is glad her passion for dance can help contribute to a good cause like Vision-Aid.
Avantika Nair, is a 6th grader at Christa McAuliffe Charter School in Framingham, MA, and has been learning dance from Guru Sripriya Moorthy for 7 years. Her love for Bharatnatyam has only grown over the years & her enthusiasm to participate in Vision-Aid’s great cause is palpable. She enjoys Taekwondo for martial arts & loves spending her time with her younger sister & grandmother.
Harini Jeyaraman is a 6th grader at Hopkinton Middle School. Thanks to her Guru Suja Meyyappan, Bharathanatyam has now become an integral part of her life and she wants to make a positive impact in the world through her dancing journey. This is her 2nd year participating in a Vision-Aid production.
Ensemble Group 7 – North B
Abinayya Appusamy, Chetana Yella, Deepthi Bharath, Aanya Challuri, Aarna Mahadevan
Abinayya Appusamy, a rising 8th grader, has been learning Bharatanatyam since the age of 5 from Guru Sujatha Meyyappan. She loves dancing and has participated in one of Muralidharan Sir’s Guinness records. She is super excited about participating again in a Vision-Aid production and giving back to the community.
Chetana Yella, a rising 7th grader, learns Bharatanatyam from Smt.Sujatha Meyyappan. This is her second time participating in a Vision-Aid production and she had an amazing experience. She also loves to sing and read books.
Deepthi Bharath, a rising 7th grader at Academy for Science and Design in Nashua, NH, has been learning Bharathanatyam under the tutelage of Smt. Sujatha Meyyapan for 5 years. She will be going to 7th grade in the following year at the. This is her first time participating in Vision-Aid, and she looks forward to participating for years to come.
Aanya Challuri, a rising 7th grader goes to the Academy for Science and Design in Nashua, NH. She has been learning Bharatanatyam from Guru Sujatha Meyyapan since the age of 7, and has very much enjoyed it ever since. This is Aanya’s second year of doing Vision-Aid production, and she is very excited!
Aarna Mahadevan, a rising 5th grader, has been learning Bharathnatyam under the guidance of Smt. Suja Meyyappan since the age of five and loves it. This is her second time participating in a Vision-Aid fundraising event and she is looking forward to it.
