Vande Mataram

The music genius A.R. Rehman has once again brought this song to our lips. He has made alive the sacrifice of millions, who died in our freedom struggle. Like a lot of folks, I knew the song by rote, but never connected with it until Rehman came along. Giving life to these beautiful, powerful words-connecting with an entire generation in his inimitable way.
We started working on this song 3 years back. Every year we changed our choreography, added different versions and made the song richer. Every singer brought his own emotions to the forefront in his rendition.
By the time Lata croones, "Ma tujhe salaam!" the audience is teary eyed and proud to be an Indian. Show after show, we have brought entire generations together, not only the IT guys but the seniors and the high schoolers.
When we did the closing act at Montclair State University, the kids cheered and sang Vande mataram, drowning the music. But we kept our beat, continued dancing as the energy was infectious- something magical, hard to describe.
Vande mataram has become the trademark choreography of Rhythms of dance and music. We have to squeeze it in even if it means another costume change. I have performed it a zillion times solo and in group- but the crowd response has always overwhelmed me.
Thank you Rehman for opening our eyes and heart to this gem!

Happy hour

With all the chaos of the holidays, dance has taken a backseat. I have been aching to get back to my usual routine. Come Saturday, I cannot stay home. I have to dance, so I did some catching up in my Latin dance class. The new choreographies and fast steps deter many newcomers but there are always a faithful few. I count myself amongst this group.
Having taken that class for the last 3 years, even if I miss many lessons, I can still catch on. It's a challenge when you discover the steps are done in double speed or the music has changed completely. I keep calm and tell myself that I know the basics, it may look crazy but I need to break it down.
Instead of crosswords, piecing together this guy's choreography is my mind game combined with all the challenges of dance, dance revolution. With the catchy Latino music it's my happy hour, where I can transport myself to the Carribean beaches-never mind the sweaty gym clothes. The energy is so invogorating! You feel happy and that happiness radiates in your dance.

Pursuit of perfection

It takes a lifetime to achieve some measure of perfection. Dance is no exception. I treat my dance learning as a lifelong journey. There is no end to mastering this art. Inspite of having performed the Odissi dance repertoire as a teenager, I had to learn all the basics from scratch. This was the condition if I were to switch gharanas. The subtle nuances were different, I was now seeing through the eyes of an adult. What I had retained was only my deep love for Odissi.
It took a lot of dedication and determination to mould myself in my Guru's style. In the past 6 years, I have never missed a lesson or been late. It has taken me months to master some steps.
I never do things half-heartedly. I always strive for perfection: be it my costumes, my stage make-up, my video or my dance. Everything is done with total passion.
When people ask how I manage to breeze through certain steps, I tell them to step into my shoes and show committment to your Guru-Guru shradha and ofcourse, work hard. There is no getting around that! I practice with all different age groups repeating the same choreography again and again. Unless, I have guests for dinner, I stay on while batches of students come and go.
I would have learnt faster had I stuck with private lessons but this group interaction has helped me develop better. Going for dance is my only break from the daily mundane routines. In the US you have many more household responsibilities. You have to feel happy and energetic to get through the week.
Dance is my elixer. I don't complain about the driving or the rehearsels, I am grateful to be able to pursue it with my mind, body and soul.