Ever witnessed the joy of reaching to a top of a
mountain and looking at the breathtaking view after a rugged climb? It is so
satisfying. But no hard climb is complete without obstacles. And so was my
journey of dance. ‘Arangetram’ is a prodigious performance which is done after
years of training. It is the perfect example of hardwork, dedication and
willpower. At the end, it is the journey what teaches us and what we enjoy the
most. So here goes mine!
My journey started in 2018 when Tai* first announced
that you are ready for ‘The Arangetram’ after 9 years. My parents and I had
decided to do Arangetram alone instead of a group since there was no one ready
enough to perform with me. I was so happy to hear that it was finally my time
to perform Arangetram but the next thought that crossed my mind was ‘now I have
to work my fingers to the bone. Huh!’ The thought scared me for a second. But
now there was no turning back.
My first day of practice was so tiring that my legs shivered while getting down the stairs. My practice included a routine diet of beetroot, cucumber some fruits, two large bottles of energy liquids and regular lunch with increased chapati (wheat bread) which were to be finished during the practice. Believe me that’s a lot! I still remember the Christmas vacations when the practice was in full swing starting from 9am till 9pm. Throughout the day I’d practice, eat lunch, watch performances of previous Arangetrams, take power nap and then back to practice. Well, that was hectic! During this time Tai has been our mother throughout; right from making kadha* if anyone was unwell to taking the practice at her own house daily.
The fun part was when we had a trip to Shri shri Ravishankar ji’s Markal ashram. Every batch of Arangetram is taken to a trip for bonding with each other. And so was this trip. We slept under the stars in the tent, meditated, did a photoshoot, adventure activities and a lot more. After the trip, we were relaxed, refreshed and back to practice.
Photoshoot (Lord Vishnu position)
After months of practicing there was a time when I couldn’t even sit in the basic position of Bharatnatyam (Ayatamandalam). That’s when I realized that the pains resembled the ones which had taken place when I jumped while playing a few weeks back. My right knee would hurt to its worst possible. After visiting the doctor I found out that I had partial ligament tear. I still remember his words, as he said, “You can’t dance any further”. I was speechless. I held my tears all the way home and that night I couldn’t resist and let it all out. That was a nightmare. You can’t tell a dancer that she can’t dance especially when it’s time to give the most prestigious performance of life. Thus, there was a long break of almost 9 months. But as elders say, the hard times passes quickly if you stay strong and fight back. I did the same. I did the recommended exercises, physiotherapy sessions followed the prescriptions and rested as much needed. And that’s how I overcame this hurdle and was more than ready to continue with my journey after doctor’s consent. I would literally perform an item from the margam* and then use an ice pack. In a way it did feel good!
Soon was my first practice with my vocalist. And to be honest it was pretty awful. I was so nervous. I messed up with the beats, with the sequence and was technically poor. That’s when I knew I had not given my 100 percent. There were times when I would say that I am done! But then there was my mother, who would just end the conversation by saying ‘you have to complete what you have started’. That’s what kept me going. My dad was my driver throughout. He would leave his office just to pick up and drop me. I am so grateful towards them that they were ready to do anything possible to make the performance a success.
My first 3 months of 10th standard were all about dance. Revising the beats while teacher is teaching was all I would do and the songs kept running in my head all day. And trust me, not understanding a word and getting ready for an exam which is just round the corner is a deadly feeling!
I still remember that we were once practicing and were almost done with the choreography of the margam but lacked of a perfect end since there was nothing that could match my theme of ‘Lord Krishna’. When my Tai’s guru Smita Mahajan tai learnt about this, she herself composed the song and provided it within few hours. I was astonished and was feeling so blessed. Who would have ever thought that a person like her would compose a song just for me within few hours? Cause it’s a tedious task. I am so thankful to her. After all these months, I gave my best at the final practice with my musicians, which was really memorable. The photograph above is taken after this final rehearsal where i am totally sweating. It is so fulfilling when you give your best and get appreciated. Right?
After few days, my costumes and jewellary arrived and were ready to be used. According to Indian tradition, one has to seek blessings from the god Shiva and perform a short pooja* before the performance for it to go well.
(Photograph) Here is Tai tying ghunguroos* on my feet after pooja.
The Next step was photoshoot which was few hours long but was definitely one of my cherished experiences. Soon the invitations were out and everybody was excited and eager to see the program.
My Tai has been
the most dedicated and an inspiring woman. She has two children- One a 6 years
old girl and the other 2 months old baby. Yet she never let them affect my
practice. Her patience is just commendable. She has helped me all this way to
make it up to my goal. I often wondered why doesn’t Tai ever say that I did well
even though all the others did. ‘You have to do better’ is all she would say.
After all the practice, it is acknowledgement from your teacher that matters
the most. Isn’t it? My Arangetram was the place where I first heard the words
of appreciation from my Tai and it was the best moment ever. That’s when it hit
me that all I wanted was to please my guru and in this process of pleasing her,
her every ‘you can do better’ resulted in me doing the best possible. And my
final performance made me that worthy to receive her admiration. That was the
best gift ever!
My first stage performance alone for 3 hours was more of fun because now I was able to enjoy dance and was lost in it completely. My mother, was, I think the happiest woman on the Earth. She literally was so emotional while giving the speech while expressing herself. The auditorium was filled with emotions and the air with happiness. Ultimately, the performance, the appreciation, the love that you receive forever and the satisfaction of giving your best is all that matters. This journey of mine has taught me life lessons and would always be preserved in my treasure chest of memories.
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