Personal Story

I was four years old when I was first introduced to bharatanatyam. My mother practiced the art form as a young girl, went on to get her certification, and continues to dance to this day. She loves bharatanatyam with such conviction that she has even found time in her schedule as a full time lawyer and mother to teach the next generation of American-Indian dancers in my hometown. With a passion like hers, it is no surprise that she wanted her daughter to feel fulfilled in a similar way. When my mom took me to my first dance class, I refused to go into the room out of fear, as I was a very self-conscious child. However, I was adamant about my desire to pursue the art form, so my mom agreed to bring me back the following week. This routine repeated itself for several weeks, and three months later I had still not entered the dance studio. I would stand outside of the room, peering through the open door for the entire hour during which my guru would be conducting class, never crossing the boundary to begin my cultural education. After three months, my mom’s patience was rightfully running out, so she taught me a simple prayer to boost my courage. A tribute to Hanuman, the prayer asks for strength, success, courage, and fearlessness, among other qualities. For the following month, I went to class, still not entering the studio, but reciting the prayer over and over again, trying to muster up the courage to participate. After four long months of anxiety and fear, I finally decided to begin classes, trusting that Hanuman would support me; After all, I had been chanting his praises constantly for the past month. My first day of bharatanatyam, although nerve-wracking, was awe inspiring. It remains in my memory as the beginning of my childhood and the beginning of my journey towards maturation. Dance was my catalyst for growth.

Over the next few years, I mindlessly attended dance classes as any elementary school-aged child would do. I especially used class time as a social hour to interact with my childhood friends who have also continued to practice the art form. As most Indian children do at this young age, I also participated in several choreographed Bollywood routines during Indian holidays and celebrations. I performed bharatanatyam in local showcases and cultural events at the temple, but the importance of bharatanatyam had not yet developed. However, at the age of seven I was introduced to Dr. Vasundhara Doraswamy, a world-renowned artist and teacher based in Mysore, India. She had been coming to Louisville during the summer, and was planning to return for the next several years. She graciously accepted me as her student, and this guru-shishya relationship was integral to my wholehearted adoption of the Vasundhara style of bharatanatyam. Under Dr. Doraswamy’s guidance, I was able to complete my Arangetram, which is a certification performance that recognizes the dancer’s maturity and devotion to the art form. After completion of my Arangetram, I continued to dance in my own community and around the country. I was fortunate enough to be invited to India on two separate occasions to perform. Even to this day, I continue to practice bharatanatyam and take any opportunity to showcase the art form. I fully intend and plan to continue dancing bharatanatyam for the rest of my life, as it is a source of cultural pride for me, as well as an opportunity for self-expression and a conduit to my faith.

However, upon coming to college, I had to find an alternate way to physically manifest my culture and participate in some sort of dance. Coincidentally, through my research partner Jay’s advice I attended the fall workshops for IU HoosierRaas, auditioned, and later made the team. I have now been a member of HoosierRaas for two years and look forward to serving as a captain for the 2018-2019 season. In the past years, my membership with this team has exposed me to a completely new style of dance and to the Gujarati culture. It has given me the opportunity to perform in different parts of the country, such as Richmond, VA; New Brunswick, NJ; Miami, FL; Urbana-Champaign, IL; and College Park, MD. We have also performed at IU and for Bloomington events.