Kathak’s not just a hobby, it’s a life lesson
Waiting outside the rehearsal room, I overhear a conversation between a mother and her daughter. “We have to go to the market now to collect your costume. I hope you aren’t tired. Did you finish the fruit? Once home, we’ll have to study a bit. Would that be all right?” I smile as the girl nods. This is precisely what I’d be saying to my daughter in a few minutes as she ends her kathak rehearsal and joins me outside.
The sun has set and winter is more palpable. However, our day is not over yet as we head towards the shop of the costume supplier.
Dreamcatcher, an annual event by her dance school, is approaching and we are trying to juggle the rehearsals with the preparation for the school assessment; making sure she’s well-rested, adequately nourished and definitely motivated.
I look at the little wooden board on the gate that reads Studio Antara and reminisce the journey that began 15 months ago, shaping up in a way entirely different from how I had first envisioned it.
Just after my daughter had turned six, I had enrolled her in kathak classes, twice a week, looking at it as the best possible use of her somewhat free evenings. Walking inside the premises for the first time, we both had felt an instant connect with the happy yet serene vibe of the place.
My daughter took to kathak like a fish takes to water. Within weeks of joining the class, I would find her breaking impromptu into the ‘ta thai thai tat’ routine in the midst of daily chores. She started employing her strictly rationed i-pad time watching videos of acclaimed kathak exponents.
As her classes progressed, we both began looking at kathak as not just a hobby but an earnest commitment. A time came when I started dreading party invitations for Thursday or Friday, the days of her kathak class.
Thanks to consistent practice, I could see an astounding change in her poise and an unmistakable delight on her face as she performed.
The change in attitude came about in part because of the pure joy that this intricate and graceful dance form bestows on learners; and in part because of the zest of her guru, Nidhi Mittal. She enters the dance room like a breath of fresh air and the energy she radiates rubs off on her students.
On the morning of the Dreamcatcher event, a message beeps in the WhatsApp group. Expecting a reminder to report on time, I am pleasantly surprised to read her words, “Dear parents, the day we all have been waiting for is here. Remember to be happy from inside and enjoy the moments on stage.”
Just as Mark Manson observed in his latest bestseller, it is important to enjoy the process, and if we don’t, we can never attain excellence in our chosen field.
The night after the event, my daughter confesses missing the rehearsals and the moments on stage and I am glad that along with the dance, she learnt to enjoy the process too. A learning that’s so priceless!
AFTER PRACTICE, I COULD SEE AN ASTOUNDING CHANGE IN HER POISE AND AN UNMISTAKABLE DELIGHT ON HER FACE AS SHE PERFORMED