Dancer in me

Yesterday I watched ABCD movie. I enjoyed the movie and of course the Dance which is the theme of the movie. I am not here to review the movie. As I watched the movie I went back to my childhood. I remembered my dance class. Today you can enjoy a chapter from THE CHRONICLE OF SHWETHA.

My sister is a very good Bharathanatya dancer. It is well known nature of the land that the younger ones usually follow the elder’s path. Talents are inborn. We have to nurture it.My sister has that  in dance and luckily she discovered it at an early age and started attending dance classes. At that age I agree that I was envious at my sister and joined the dance class.

It was a new atmosphere. I was scared. I couldn’t manage the class more than a week. My mother got my uniform stitched for dance class and after that I never went to that class. I lost the interest by then. I realized dance is not my passion and gave up that.

In schools teachers have always struggled much to teach me dance for annual day celebrations. The number of students were really less that they had no other option other than selecting me for Dance. Inside my heart I loved troubling them at least in dance and I used to take revenge:-P

One day we were on the way to a Sabha where my sister had to perform a dance. It was a dance competition. She urged me in auto to participate in the competition. I flatly refused.Our mothers started pestering along with her to participate. As a Parent encouraging their daughter is a thing I appreciate with my mother and her sister (ie.My aunt). But this was too much I should say. Their encouragement was for a task which was beyond my ken. As always they started their lecture in the auto.” Participation alone matters. Winning a prize does not matter. You are not going to loose anything by participating in this…. Blah blah blah…” and at last I had no other choice left but to participate.

Soon my sister suggested a song and dance practice was in auto. Believe me. It was in running auto. She moved her hands showing actions which were perfectly in sync with the lyrics. She animatedly gave face expressions which were easy to capture. We reached the Sabha - practice over. My sister wonderfully performed and after a while came my turn.I remembered her actions and expressions.

The song was aired and after controlling my fear (actually I was shivering inside) I started dancing chirply for the song.  My mom and my sister’s mom were so happy on seeing me performing in stage. After the performance my sister and our mothers appreciated me. They were glad and delighted that they made me stand in the stage.I was still shivering even after the performance and they bought me some Coke to relax.

When we were way back home, my sister told me that she was very much angry with a Guy’s comment in the Sabha. The comment was obviously on my dance. When I was dancing he has passed a comment that  “This is a dance competition. The girl is just telling a rhyme in animated way. She is not actually dancing. She is standing in the same place from the start of the song “

I was taken aback with this comment. I really did not know what to answer. I felt humiliated. After few days we got the CD of the competition and when I watched mine I was stunned. As that guy commented I did not move even a bit in the stage. No doubt that I perfectly did those actions and animations taught by my sister which I learnt in a short time. But where did I go wrong? I questioned myself.

I got the answer in a little recap of my practice session. You remember? The practice was in auto. There I learnt only actions and animations. I did not practice any steps. I did not even practice a leg movement. So I did not move even a bit in the stage. He has rightly commented. It was like a rhyme I was animating there. But after watching my performance in CD. I was relieved. I was delighted because I could very well animate and convey expressions. I can be the best teacher for KG students where I can wonderfully teach them their lessons. Thinking all these I just played … tan tarara datan.. taan tarara datan…(annamalai movie BGM when Rajini wins Sharath Babu ). Yes. I do get inspired by watching Super Star movies :) :) :)

Moral: Practice before performing dance :-P

             Don't take little things to head and ponder. There are so much to learn and Live.