Sunday, 30th December, 2007, was indeed a red-letter day. My 14 year old daughter, Moksha was to perform her Bharatanatyam arangetram and at the same event, her older sister, Maya, all of 19 years, was to perform her Nattuvangam arangetram, sharing the stage with me.
I was so fortunate to be surrounded by many friends, well-wishers, Nritya Geethanjali students, all eager to help backstage - Gayatri Subramaniam, Jenna, Aishwarya, Hema. There were those students, who had come to Mumbai specially for the event, like Prabha from Dubai and Megha from the US. It was great to have Prabha nostagically joining the singers on stage. My sister, Hema Krishnamurthy, also a dancer-teacher, came from Sydney with her family and supported me throughout. She compered the event with Jenna, whose bright smile lit the stage !
And above all, our Guru, our beloved Rajee Aunty, who made this event possible. We are indeed blessed to have such a Guru ! Her unflagging enthusiasm, constant guidance and discipline brought out the best in Moksha, who thoroughly enjoyed the day. With the stalwarts on stage, namely Jaya mami giving vocal support and Chandran mama on the mridangam, Maya and I savoured every moment, as music and dance filled our senses. Our Guru’s presence helped us keep check on our talam, laya, sruti and overall presentation. Her overwhelming personality and grace added to the beauty of the event. On stage, we felt a sense of belonging, of oneness, of being part of a family, the Nritya Geethanjali family.
The auditorium was packed, the turnout was much greater than expected. This was so gratifying; to have an enthusiastic audience is every dancer’s dream. As for Moksha, she has taken the first step. What is really satisfying is hearing her say that now she was free to learn more; her desire to learn Desh Tillana with our Guru's unique and intricate choreography, her eagerness to get back to the dance classes routine. Success is to have been able to nurture a love of the dance form that I am passionate about, in my daughters, in the current batch of Nritya Geethanjali seniors and the little ones who are our future. It makes me so happy to see the two, new, very enthusiastic, very inspired additions we have, to the Nattuvangam class. That's Lalitha Ramani (Aishwarya & Arundhati's mother) and Usha Swaminathan (Nisha's mother).
For the rhythm that flows in our veins, we salute our Guru.
Jaishree Rao
