Last weekend i went for a show "BHAKTI" meaning DEVOTION. This is an indian classical dance performance by the dance school Nritya Kalanjali established in originally in Ipoh.
The dance Guru,
Sudha Sasikumar or how i always call her "
Sudha ka"....is the most DEDICATED guru i have seen. I first met her when i was just
15 . She was also just 20 years old herself then...as beautiful as she still is now ! I immediately fell in love with her humble appearance...she is ALWAYS in cotton salwar kameez...whether at home or outside..her lovely locks tied up in with a simple hair clip and the only make up would be her kajal.
At that time, i was attending sangeetham classes ( indian classical music ) which was conducted on saturday mornings at the beautiful Kallumalai temple in Ipoh. Sithra (my cousin)and i went for these classes...our guru was Mr Kulaseelanathan from India. And Sudha ka and Master Santiago ( another dance teacher, who at that time wasnt my guru yet ) also attended these sangeetham classes. Thats when we got to know her better and we would be constantly admiring both of them ...she and Master Santiago....
And one day...my uncle who also attended the sangeetham classes with us...suggested we have a little unofficial performance after the class....he requested Sudha ka and Master Santiago to dance for the song " Alaipayuthey Kanna" and our sangeetham teacher to sing it for them. And they did it...! there was no instrumental back up....no stage...no lighting.....just the vocal and the dance...!!! And i was Speechless....we fell in LOVE with the dance and the dancers too !! My heart ached....to learn it....knowing my father was against it...i felt i was in tears for not being able to move along with that beautiful melody the way they were !....that picture of them dancing simply in salwar kameez and kurta with no rehearsals or practices was surreal.......simply pure !
And eversince that day...the thought of learning dance was stuck to my mind....so intensely that i would cry everytime i see someone else perform. Thats when Sudha ka....started her Bharatha Natyam classes at her house and my other 2 cousins (twins), Malini and Rubini were learning from her. Gosh...i had sleepless nights....thinking if i should take the chance and ask my father since now i have a back up reason which is ....my 2 cousins are going so why not me !...and guess what? it WORKED !!! it was like the heavenly gate opening up for me....and of course i was a good reason for Sithra to join as well ...hahaha...so we all went together...the four of us...
Then started the .....endless....thaiya thaiya thei thei tham sequences at Sudha ka's house in Bercham Ipoh. I waited all the 5 other days just for the 2 magical days at her place....and from there we slowly picked up the adavus....and Alaripu and jathiswaram...and we were enjoying it sooo much.....till it came to Patham of course....oH NO ...EXPRESSIONS !! And we had one other MAJOR problem.....Sasi uncle ( Now Sudha ka's husband) will be there in the house watching the class....! and we would be sooo uncomfortable....unable to do expressions at all !....I am pretty amazed that Sudha ka never slapped our DUMB faces ...she was too patient...hahaha...!
Hmm well....then ..wen i was 18 years old...i received a birthday card from Sudha ka....and i was sooo touched by it...i remember i was at home...that morning...when my uncle came and passed it to me... ( sudha ka was working at my uncle's law firm then ) since that day i became even closer to her....Sithra and i actually adored her ! Then she got married....and had later left to KL....we were pretty crushed when we learnt that she was moving to Kl....and thats when we shifted to Master Santiago's classes....then...Nithya who was 4 years old....joined us too...so all5 of us will go to class together ...twice a week ! Thank god all our houses are only 5 mins drive from each other....so we all went in one car....driven by either Nithyas mom or Sithra's father....
So thats how the next 10 years passed
....dance ...school....dance....exams...navarathiri performances.....school holidays..................dance again...school........dance.......campus.....semester break.....dance again.....back to campus.......
This routine came to a halt when i got married....and ended up in KL...and again i longed for the dance....till Sutra opened its heavenly gate again in my life....and i fell in love with
Odissi ! And the 3 years as a student there had made ALL the difference in my life...i LOVE my life in KL just for the reason i was able to be in Sutra ! I prefered everything else in IPOH ...hahahaha...
hmmm...anyway...coming back to Sudha ka....even after she had to move permanently to KL....she travelled tirelessly every week to Ipoh to conduct classes....and she has been dancing all her life....with all the commitments of being a mother , wife, daughter and sister....isnt that GREAT ! yes a big thank you to Uncle Sasi who had been supporting her all the while...simply because he loves the art form too !
And now at the show.....Bhakti ....how appropriate the name ....i saw her perform again....with her 2 lovely talented daughters....I pray that God would bless her family forever ! And as personal note to Sudha ka....." Thank you for opening the new path to my life' i cant imagine what kind of person i would have been if not for the magical influence of the GREAT ART FORM ! it definitely makes a reformation of the soul...pushing you a little closer to its natural order... and for that...
Thank you Sudha ka....LOVE u lots !
