Looking back at 2010

RDM team had a super run this year. The Indian festivities are over as we get ready to embrace the holidays. In a month's span we did 4 shows before I squeezed in 2 lecture demonsrations. All of them were highly demanding. I had been the one wondering why there was such a lull after our mega Aug 1st show. God certainly heard my complaints. The test was my endurance to withstand the pressure of changing repertoire and gruelling rehearsels.I thrive on such challenges. Nothing makes me more happy than counting the number of shows we need to do.
I started learning dance to find a little joy in this alien land. Little did I know the call of stage grows on you. I love the groups where I can feel the vibes and energy of my team. Switching gears to do the solos is extremely challenging but once on stage everything else is forgotten-it's only the dancer and her audience.
Winter isn't a quiet sabbatical for us. We learn new pieces getting ready to hit the stage for summer. Most conferences and festivals are booked in July. August is the only time off before we get into the Puja frenzy.
This year I had the added excitement of 2 shows during Diwali. We presented a totally different repertoire at the ESU campus. We had a challenge to top our last years performance. It is always a joy to be at a college campus, feeling the buzz and enthusiasm of the students. The audience was spellbound by our stunning rendition of Bollywood classical songs. It was a departure from our all classical repertoire. A lot of thought and practice had gone into making our choreography novel and refreshing, yet true to our pure, classical Odissi technicalities. The Diwali dhamaka was there in our Bollywood beats.
One more show lined up for me in December at the prestigious Sruti event in Philadelphia, when I go back to performing timeless pieces from my Odissi repertoire. Then I too can get into the Christmas spirit. Let's hope the new year proves to be more successful and challenging than this one.

Portrait of a Dancer

Last week I had a very different offer from my friend. Instead of dancing, she asked if I could pose as a dancer in her art class. I have always been fascinated by oils but never had the patience to dabble in that medium.
Believe me, it was a challenge for someone who cannot sit still.
The artists had to paint in the north lights of the studio. The session was to last for 3 hours. Reaching early in the morning,it was interesting to see so many people turn out, all waiting for me to pose. I thought of doing the seemingly easiest dance pose, never realizing my legs would kill me.
It was interesting to see how each one of them had a different perspective, very similar to the same song being choreographed differently. Starting with a rough sketch, they moved towards the finer details of expressions and eyes. The play of light and shadow made me look different to each one depending on where they were standing.
In dance, we too move from a rough choreography incorporating basic steps and poses to fine tuning our expressions and deleting unwanted sequences. The first sitting is the hardest when the idea is taking shape,there after everything else flows like an endless stream of motion.
Well, it was an eye opener! Until yesterday,I never thought what a wonderful invention the camera was. Both the artists and the models deserve credit for sitting through portrait sessions. Imagine this was the done thing for centuries! Next time, I go to an art gallery,I am going to remember to appreciate the model.