My Passion
How the art of dance has influenced and shaped every aspect of my character.
‘Dance is the hidden language of the soul’. This expression accurately describes what dance has always meant to me. It has always been the one thing that has helped set me free both literally and metaphorically. I was introduced to the art of dance at the tender age of five, and since then, have fallen deeply in love with the art of Bharathanatyam. After almost sixteen years, I am now a professional dancer with a diploma in the classical Indian dance form, Bharathanatyam from SIFAS (Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society). And I can confidently say that dance and my achievements in it have shaped me to become the disciplined, resilient, confident and compassionate woman I am today.
Beginning my journey in an art form that required a high level of commitment and hard work at a very young age instilled discipline in me. Bharathanatyam is a very beautiful art form but one that requires extreme physical rigour and precision. It is both physically and mentally demanding. When I first started learning Bharathanatyam, I thought it would be easy since the dancers I saw performing on stage danced with such ease; their movements seemed so effortless. However, only when I started learning it properly did I realize how difficult it really was. There were many basic ‘adavus’ (steps/movements) that I had to master first before I could even begin learning full dance sequences. Each basic step that I learnt required a lot of precision, and to attain such precision in the execution of my adavus, I had to practice relentlessly.
As a result, I would practice my adavus for an hour in the morning and for another hour at night every day. This became a habit for me that continued for years. When I started pursuing my dance exams, and doing stage performances, I had to work even harder. I had dance classes every day after school that lasted two to three hours. On top of my dance practices, I also had dance theory
‘Dance is the hidden language of the soul’. This expression accurately describes what dance has always meant to me. It has always been the one thing that has helped set me free both literally and metaphorically. I was introduced to the art of dance at the tender age of five, and since then, have fallen deeply in love with the art of Bharathanatyam. After almost sixteen years, I am now a professional dancer with a diploma in the classical Indian dance form, Bharathanatyam from SIFAS (Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society). And I can confidently say that dance and my achievements in it have shaped me to become the disciplined, resilient, confident and compassionate woman I am today.
Beginning my journey in an art form that required a high level of commitment and hard work at a very young age instilled discipline in me. Bharathanatyam is a very beautiful art form but one that requires extreme physical rigour and precision. It is both physically and mentally demanding. When I first started learning Bharathanatyam, I thought it would be easy since the dancers I saw performing on stage danced with such ease; their movements seemed so effortless. However, only when I started learning it properly did I realize how difficult it really was. There were many basic ‘adavus’ (steps/movements) that I had to master first before I could even begin learning full dance sequences. Each basic step that I learnt required a lot of precision, and to attain such precision in the execution of my adavus, I had to practice relentlessly.
As a result, I would practice my adavus for an hour in the morning and for another hour at night every day. This became a habit for me that continued for years. When I started pursuing my dance exams, and doing stage performances, I had to work even harder. I had dance classes every day after school that lasted two to three hours. On top of my dance practices, I also had dance theory