How Dancing Was Upon Hdaran...

My first odissi class... Back-breaking!!! And this was the beginner's class, mind you!!! But what a pleasure it was!!! I am finally a student of one of the leading dance schools in Malaysia, learning one of the oldest Indian classical dance form properly. It was a lifelong dream (even I am getting bored of repeating this, just a minute, I AM NOT!!!!!!!!!!!). I was supposed to have enrolled in a dance school when I was 5, I think, and for some reason, my parents did not make it happen. Why didn't I throw a tantrum??? Wait stupid question, I was too much of a crowd-pleaser back then.

My entire life, I've had a passion for dance and for 19 years that passion never found its home.

Upon finishing my final public examination, I was determined to diverge from the science field but just as Cookies and Cakes mercilessly opened his big mouth, so I ended up doing my degree in biotechnology. But pursuing my degree didn't entirely shut away my passions (fashion studies saw its temporary-I hope-demise); dance, fell upon me.

So happened that all Indian students that subject themselves to the orientation (which meant being bullied -not physically though- by their seniors); are also subject to a competition organised by the Hindu Society of the former university in the first semester of every term. 12 residential colleges from the university sends their representatives to participate in various events. This competition posed a series of events that add up to a Champion Cup, one very much revered upon possession.

After about three weeks as a freshman, practice began as part of preparing us for the upcoming competition. Cutting the chase, after several considerations, I was switched from being the representative for the Malay public speaking match up, to the troupe that participated in the Indian traditional dance showdown. Reason; a senior of mine from the troupe met with an accident. That was my first ever debut on stage. I was probably the only junior in my entire batch of students that had fun during practice and while competing; everyone else went through sleepless night, torturous sessions of practice and excruciating criticism from our seniors for an entire week prior to the competition. I was a natural at dance and boy did I excel. After that event, my batch of Indian students knew me, the dancer, Hdaran, who rocked the stage.

The next three years and half years, things only got bigger and better and I was dancing endlessly, almost every other month if not every other week. Sometimes, performances were as frequent as three days in a row on various occasions for various events; on TV, in front of audiences thousands strong and on a few instances, tens of thousands strong. Every Indian in my university during the four years I was there knew Hdaran, and knew me as a dancer. What a sense of belonging that was; not because I was popular, more because I was known as a dancer.

Graduating put an end to it, however, my flame did not die out... After countless attempts which brought about disappointments after disappointments, I AM finally where I belong, in one of the finest Indian classical dance schools in the country, learning the oldest form of Indian classical dance.

*goosebumps*