My mother walked into my room last summer and asked me a simple yes or no question. “Would you like to do your Nritya Nipuna?” she simply asked. My response was an enthusiastic yet superficial exclamation. I was excited to show everyone what I had learned through many years of Indian classical dance. Now as I remember the event on June 27th, 2009, my answer still remains just as enthusiastic but not superficial.

A Nritya Nipuna is a demonstration of the dancer’s beauty, grace, strength, and talent. It is also a demonstration of the expertise of her guru and the devotion of her family. Behind this one event there are years of training, endless hours of practice, tear-provoking soreness, and endless discussions. From an objective standpoint it seems like a lot of effort for just three hours on stage in front of hundreds of people. From the viewpoint of a dancer, this event marks the culmination of her dancing career in which she can showcase her skill to her loved ones. It is a beginning and an end.

These realizations never occurred to me when my mother asked that simple question over a year ago. As I sit here still listening to my Nritya Nipuna songs and visualizing the dances in my mind, I realize that this event gave me the chance to prove to myself that I could be the dancer I aspired to be.

From the very beginning my guru, Smt. Jasmine Shah, never let me compromise. She pushed me to create expression from within, portray grace with emotion, and learn each step to perfection. Most importantly, she taught me to enjoy each beat, rhythm, movement, and moment. With her guidance and constant effort I learned to become one with my dance and myself. My mother was just as relentless. Together she and my guru made a hardcore team. My mother’s brutally honest critiques followed with lovely adoration motivated me to strive for perfection and nothing less. Her effort in making every detail of this event excellent was my constant reminder of her unconditional love and support. The logistical success of this event was a pure representation of her devotion, perfection, and expertise.

In the end it was the amazing qualities of these two people, the love and support of my family and friends, and the divine power of God, that allowed me to successfully complete my Nritya Nipuna. I would never have been able to depict the nine powerful emotions of the Navras dance if my guru had not taught me mental strength and emotional connection. I would never have been given the chance to dance to beautiful songs in a gorgeous venue if it wasn’t for the planning and effort of my mother and family friends. I would never have thoroughly enjoyed each step of this process if it had not been for the endless support and help of my friends and family. All of this leads to one final conclusion: I would not have been able to prove to myself that I have the beauty, strength, grace, and talent to complete a Nritya Nipuna if it had not been for all of the wonderful people in my life.

From the first beat of Tandav Nritya in praise of Lord Ganesha to the last exciting note of Thillana, the bhartanatyam portion of the event was challenging and amazing. The song selection provided a beautiful variety of classical motion and devotional expression. Bhartanatyam taught me strict discipline in movement as well as devotional grace in facial expressions and body language.  As the tempo of the performance changed to the pure grace of Manipuri, new challenges arose. I shifted my focus from stiffness and force to beauty and serenity. The captivating music and devotional spirit kept me going from the classical Manipuri through the bhajans choreographed in Manipuri style. Finally, the folk dance section was the most energetic and fun part of the whole event. Although my ankles were throbbing and sweat rolled down my face, I gave both of my folk dances all of my heart. I had a great time dancing because I could feel the energy of everyone with me. Overall I loved each section, each song, each beat, and each of moment of my Nritya Nipuna. They all posed different challenges and taught me to learn different strengths. Therefore, my Nritya Nipuna allowed me to prove to myself that I could persevere and do anything I wanted to.  

As I said before, a Nritya Nipuna is a beginning and an end. I believe this is especially true for me because this year marks the end of my high school career and the beginning of the four rollercoaster years of college. My last namaskar marked the end of Friday classes with my guru, practicing with girls I have known for many years, and representing Aangikam Dance Academy at cultural events. It also marks the end of my time in the comfort zone. As I prepare to attend the University of Maryland College Park this fall, I am forced to expand beyond the traditional boundaries. Instead of the classical beats and pure music, I am headed into a dance troupe with a vast combination of contemporary, modern, and fusion dance. If someone were to ask me if I was excited to dance at college, again another simple yes or no question, I would respond with an enthusiastic yet superficial exclamation. Of course after first semester, I believe my answer will be just as enthusiastic but obviously not superficial.

The knowledge I gained from my Nritya Nipuna went beyond just music and dance. I learned how to dig deep inside of myself in order to create a core emotional connection to the dance through which I would express myself, my strength, my talent, my desire, and my love. I will always cherish this event as for providing me with the strength to challenge myself in the future. A beginning and an end.

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