Dance Exam

Ours was a planned township with very defined recreation model. There was a dance school in front our house. It had many students enrolled who came from far distance to learn classical dance, mostly Kathak. Some of my schoolmates were regular students and were part of this classical school of Dance and Music. With passage of time my playground friends became less in number and most of them spend the lovely evenings in this dancing school learning steps of the classical art coached by qualified teachers.

I used to run all alone in the playground which was mostly barren. The loneliness was killing me. I wanted to play and needed friends. Alas, they were all in the dancing school. One fine evening, slowly entered the dancing school, took the unwanted route and hanged from the window of the big practice room to check out what my playground friends did inside. Oh God! It was another classroom. They all had ghumroo roped on their feet, stood in order of height and followed the mentor. I could see most of their mothers eagerly scribing notes, some commenting on steps and urging for accuracy.

I went back home and started emulating some steps that I saw to my grandmother, with a great passion. It worked. She thought I was interested in dancing and that was how I wanted to express my urge to get enrolled too. My parents couldn't drop the request as it came from a generation one step up. I was clear on their disinterest on this subject but still expressed that I was keen to learn Kathak - which was not the case.I was eager to join my friends and thought together we would make it a playground once more. When I entered the practice room this time through the proper door I felt the serious business that was on. Most of my friends where preparing for their dance exam ahead! I never got a chance to make my dreams come true. They were all grooming to become Amita Dutta and Bela Arnab.

2 years later - I also had to prepare for the exams - the classical dance exam. I realised it was a mistake. Me in pursuit to recreate the joy of playground full of friends landed up in an exam hall - burying even the least pleasure of enjoying carefree evenings alone. The worst hit me on the exam room. I did my best - that's what I thought. Was well decked up for the presentation - answered the orals well and even presented a dance script on Lord Krishna's Makhan Chori , meeting the need of all beats on the tabla!

When I was about to move out of the exam hall the external examiner said - " All is well , but remember you are performer - you need a smile on your face to connect to your audience, that was missing!". I left the examination hall with a great tip for all time presentation. I exercised the learning on purpose - on various stage of performance in my life - a smile added value to my face.

Gyan 4 - Even when you land up in wrong road and travel with utter frustration still there many be takeaway in the journey that can be precious.