Day 3: I have a PLEA: DON'T LET CLASSICAL ARTS DIE IN EDMONTON!

Coming here, I felt unsure and definitely unaware. I had no expectations of my teachers and MDO. But I knew that I might be dancing next to people who already know Joanna Di, her style, and some of her exercises, and thus it might be intimidating – and it is intimidating for me, but I am glad that I am not a person who shys away from challenge. Why was I intimidated? As a child growing up, I lacked self-confidence, and for the majority of my life ‘til date, my self-esteem was pretty low too; and that doesn’t go away with the snap of some fingers... I remembered that when I started dancing in my basement just for fun, I was totally in my own world, and I didn’t dance for anyone but me. When I performed, I was in my own world, dancing just for me, a solo artist.

Today, I had the most confusing combinations of emotions. I was thankful to be here, but I was also hurting deeply inside; and I felt such a sense of loss of the fact that I didn’t have the opportunity to learn from Joanna Di when I was a child. I saw a woman, younger than me, who is now part of Joanna Di’s Company, who looks as though she is floating as she does her footwork, and I hurt inside.

 

 

Inside I was screaming: Why didn’t I get this chance when I was little? Why didn’t I meet this amazing guru before? I felt the loss of 25 years fall on me; if someone like Joanna Di had been near me as a child, I would have been much farther ahead in Kathak than I am now. But, I also felt grateful to be here, to be amongst such great artists, to even get to meet Joanna Di. She is like a bar of solid gold Kathak, if there was such a thing. It pours out of her pores! She has dedicated her life to Kathak! And that is so inspiring. I would love to meet another young dancer in Edmonton, who wants to devote their life to dancing. I would love to see that passion and fire in more young South Asians in Edmonton.

I have a plea to parents of this generation of children; HELP KEEP CLASSICAL ARTS ALIVE IN EDMONTON! Bollywood is not everything. Calling Kathak done to Bollywood music is not pure Kathak! I promise you, as long as I have a choice, Edmonton will get to see Joanna Di!