The word Aranga means raised stage. Etram means climbing. Arangetram means – reaching the stage. It is a rite of passage ceremony where the Guru presents her disciple to the public. After several years of training and preparation students perform a solo dance performance on stage for the public with live music accompaniment by master artists. Viji Prakash has presented over 300 Arangetrams in Los Angeles. The Arangetram celebrates a milestone in the students training in the dance and signals the beginning of a new chapter of discovery and deeper engagement in the artform.