Bharatanatyam

and stressful, but we would always push ourselves to dance our best - it was an extremely positive environment to be in. We came closer together as a group; this fostered an encouraging and friendly environment that not only increased our own motivation and the friendships we made, but also manifested in how we collaborated on stage.

Kiran We would practise on recordings of our guru’s singing from our phone in our garage that we specifically cleared out and arranged for dance (marking stage lines and formations too). We called ourselves the A-team and in this team, girls all helped each other outdriving the younger ones home when their parents couldn’t, picking up the busy uni students from the train station, with a snack to eat on the way. At times practice was really hard, with me doing full-time uni as a Medical Science Honours student with no university holidays. The co-operation and support art.

Ashna I’m not a very sporty person, but I wanted a way to both get fit as well as learn the sort of grace and elegance that you can’t get from playing a sport, and dance seemed like the best option. Some may refer to dance as a sport or fitness, but it is so much more than this as it is an art: it’s a way to express yourself, and a way to connect with your own emotions and body on a much deeper level.

Kiran I began learning Bharatanatyam at the start of high school as a hobby and to stay active. I soon grew to love it and today it has become a passion.

Madura My dear friend Chaitali, who also just graduated with me at this Arangetram, influenced me to join this classical art form at Kalashree. Not to forget, the love and passion my Guru has for Bharatanatyam is just on another level and she has always been an inspiration for me to keep dancing!

Guru is specifically the one who has taught me values such as discipline, teamwork, sacrifice, dedication and perseverance. These everlasting values extend to other aspects of life, and I intend on utilising these principles in my day-to-day life. This elegant dance form has also allowed me to become more graceful and confident. It’s only the tip of the iceberg, though. I still have so much more to learn from Bharatanatyam and my Guru.

Ashna I have learned values such as hard work, dedication, sincerity, maturity and respect, which have carried over into how I approach things such like schoolwork, and my relationships. Bharatanatyam has also instilled a greater appreciation of the richness of Indian culture - it has helped me learn so much about my heritage both through the religious stories we have portrayed, but also the lessons and values that have helped shaped my personality. My Guru is a disciple of admirable Bharatanatyam dancers, and I’ve been blessed to meet them and see them perform. Finally, in the year leading up to my Arangetram,