The lucid flow of her dance, made everyone fall into a mystic trance.
When given that talent, a second chance; came into Seekh, a new Espérance…
With enticing eyes of kohl and jewels of pearl and gold, was when a 7-year old, devoted her body and soul,
And let the art of grace unfold. With her long, silk, black hair with studded jewels sewn into it, tied into a braid down her back, and the clinking bangles almost covering her forearm was how my first encounter with the establisher of the Seekh Bharatanatyam class – Poojitha, went.
“Why Bharatanatyam?”, when asked, she replied with her eyes glistening and with a huge grin on her face, “This dance form is how I identify myself. It is an integral part of my life and I felt the necessity to preserve our Indian heritage and spread my knowledge to those with no access to it. Also, no one should give up on their dreams solely because of the lack of resources.”
This journey to a great destination began when the two best friends, dance partners and determined enthusiasts came together to add a twist to the regular schedule at Seekh. In their words, “In a world where everything is fabricated, we did not just want to teach another dance to another student. We wanted to preserve authenticity!”
Rishika, the other half of the duo and the solo dance teacher at Seekh along with Poojitha, started off with a workshop with over over 30+ students, teachers and parents from Seekh. When asked how she knew she could handle such a great responsibility, she said, “I have been dancing since I was seven and finally knew I had it in me to impart my knowledge with utmost desire.”
Two months into the journey, it was like we had landed on a different planet. Entering the zoom classes, I could see on the screen over 10+ zealous students, drenched in sweat but with a paramount of endurance. Their poses as still as a snake, but smiling from ear to ear.
The international dancers duos- Poojitha and Rishika, who have performed all throughout India and all the way to Bahrain, been handed awards from Guru Kiran, Sadhu Kokila and many more famous celebrities and have been independent ever since they have set foot on the stage to perform in the spotlight and have now managed to help the underprivileged students, who were given to them as seeds, grow into tender sapling through a lot of patience and hard work.
They quoted Deepika Padukone, “The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest.”
And every word in the quote had been justified when the students performed not one but two dances for friendship day and Independence Day with a message to spread. The other few who had never heard the word ‘Bharatanatyam’ before Seekh have now learnt the shlokas, some basic adavus and the hastas of the same form.
The journey lengthens as many more students join in to learn the art of grace and cherish the spiritual dance - the fame of the South.
To watch the students who discovered their hidden talents through Seekh, click on the videos given below.
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