Stage lights made Laya Anand’s jewelry glitter as she stomped and leapt in time with precisely articulated beats. The bells on her ankles echoed a duet with her grandmother’s finger cymbals. At the end of her first piece, she slid to the floor in an elegant pose. Against the blackness of the stage, her orange costume glowed like a flame.
More than 400 guests gathered in Battle High School’s auditorium Saturday evening to watch Laya’s Bharatnatyam Arangetram, or dance graduation. The dance recital is a two-hour feat of stamina and technical knowledge that marks her transition from student to capable solo performer.
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