The show must go on

The weather gods showed no mercy on Saturday,the 24 th of October. We were booked for a show celebrating the Diwali festival at the East Stroudsburg University, Pa, across the border of NJ. Nestled in the scenic Poconos, Delwater gap is my favorite fall destination. This time it was the worst day to be on the road with pounding rain and fallen trees. Nevertheless, we had a committment, the publicity was done, seats were sold out. Come rain or storm we had to go.

Maybe it's god's will that we went and danced before the multicultural faculty and students of the university. For many it was their first Odissi performance. We tried forgetting about the weather and instead concentrated on our theme- the welcoming colors of spring, something so appropriate in that panoramic settings of the mountains. It was a rare treat to dance along with our guru and mentor, Mitra Purkayastha. I was inspired to drown out the noise of the storm and go with the flow of music.
It turned out to be one of my best performances. I had a feeling of peace and tranquility as I performed my favorite pieces. This feeling of sheer joy and blissfulness - satchit ananad is what we Odissi dancers try to share with our audience.