Padma Venkatraman's A Time To Dance

Imagine having everything you ever dreamed of ripped away from you, stripped from your bare hands in a single moment. Everything you have worked hard for in your life vanishes and is no longer within your reach. This is precisely how Veda, the protagonist in A Time to Dance felt. Padma Venkatraman’s book is a realistic fiction novel that tells the inspiring and moving story about Veda. She has been put to the test when an accident rips away her passion. However, Veda perseveres through her misfortune, not letting it derail her dream. Veda proves that passion and persistence is a great tool to have in everyday life, which can help us overcome our weakest moments.

Throughout her life and the book, Veda has a passion for dance. Veda was just
Instead of moping around and dreading the rest of her life, she decides to work harder to achieve her goals. “My old dance teacher didn’t think I could dance again. But dance isn’t about who you are on the outside, it is about how you feel on the inside”(291). This shows that Veda is more aware of dance and what it really means. She understands very well that dance does not limit people with a disability. Veda used to think that she was not good enough for Uday anna. Now, she realizes that she is too good for him. Only her passion is limiting her from achieving her dreams of dancing. Another example of Veda’s strength is when Dhanam akka wants to give her private lessons. “... So you’re dancing feet led you into the temple of the dancing Shiva where they will always lead you, and those who watch, as long as you dance for your vision of the sacred. You carried my soul to a great height. Thank you”(295). This shows us that Dhanam akka, an extremely and experienced spiritual dancer, believes that Veda truly dances for the Shiva. . Instead of focusing on physical skill, Veda focuses on the religious aspect of dance, and she gets a reward for it. After she achieves a higher level of dance, “Govinda meets me at an outdoor café. We sit at a table under a pipul tree. The type of tree that ripped up my life. And so the tree the helped me lose and find dance again” (300). There is no malice in her voice. The author suggests that she might not have reached her level of dance right now if it was not for her accident. In a way, her misfortune has helped her become a more superior, despite missing one