My Bharatnatyam guru gave me this salangai (anklets) on Vijayadashami in 1995. I was to do my Arangetrum ( first Bharatnatyam stage performance) soon after..... unfortunately, we had to move cities suddenly and getting to that stage again with another teacher and school never happened. In college, I broke my right knee ACL and subsequent surgery and recovery made sitting in Araimandi (half squat position needed for Bharatnatyam) impossible for a while and extremely difficult since. Dance was not going to stop for me... I paused the classical dances and started learning Western forms... became a Zumba instructor, and found my passion in teaching dance fitness.
All through these 3 decades... my salangai has been with me, wrapped in a yellow cloth, waiting patiently for me to break the barriers of my mind. I had been waiting for my Arangetrum someday... then I was waiting for a classical performance someday... then I was waiting for my knee to fully heal someday... then I was waiting for something... not sure what... to adorn it.
Last weekend I performed on stage... it was neither a full classical dance nor was it my Arangetrum nor is my knee pain free in Araimandi..... but my salangai accompanied me to the stage.
No comments:
Post a Comment