Last week, I, my husband, Giri, and our daughters, Vaibhavi and Utsavi, had the great fortune of having our beloved guru, Rajee Aunty, stay with us at our place in Boston. For that short week, I set aside the daily responsibilities of parenting, the home and work, to once again immerse myself in dance.

I often have dreams that I am once again in Mumbai, learning from Aunty - I wake up and wonder, Will I ever have that opportunity again? So, when I offered my namaskarams to Aunty and danced the first steps to Devastuthi, it was, quite literally, like a dream come true. Over the week, as she did when I was a young girl during my trips to India years ago, Aunty tirelessly taught me several pieces.

Simply dancing in Aunty’s presence was like drinking cool water after a long thirst. Each step, each movement was exhilarating - liberating me from the confinement of being so far away from my guru. I would have learnt all 24 hours if I could have.

Jaishree was wondering how there was any time for dance with 20-month old Vaibhavi and 3-month old Utsavi. I think this is best answered with a picture that will be with me forever and that I would like to share with you - Aunty (or Aunty Patti, as she is known to my children) teaching me Navarasakannada Thillana, while gently rocking Utsavi on her lap.

Let me also share another experience with you. A number of local dance teachers, all senior dancers and students of other gurus, wanted to learn a piece from Aunty - the piece of their choice was Desha Muthumari Thillana. During the class with Aunty, all of us learnt with the delight and excitement of young girls. Aunty taught with her characteristic involvement and by the end of the class, all of the teachers left, feeling the great reverence and affection for her, that all of Aunty’s students do - such is her gift.

So, this brings me to some thoughts I would like to share with all of yo u- but especially with the younger students. Aunty has composed and choreographed so many pieces - each one increasingly beautiful. How will I learn even a portion of them? My thirst has simply become greater. In the years that I have been Aunty’s student, we have literally been oceans apart. Every hour of the time I have spent with Aunty has been precious - every single piece, a gift.

We are all so blessed to have Aunty as our guru - her dedication to and affection for her students are rare. Aunty’s knowledge is, without exaggeration, like an ocean - learn all you can with devotion and humility. Cherish the time you have with her and don’t take a moment of it for granted.

I’ll end this musing with some advice Aunty had for a young girl here - Whatever you do in life - not just dance - do it sincerely and do it well.

- Janani