Finishing the last move in the choreography, with one foot extended to the side and other in line with my body, I eased myself into the finale pose, perfectly aligned with each and every one of the kuchipudi dancers on stage. The music, which was so loud until now, faded into the background, and as I squinted past the bright lights shining on me, I heard the massive audience rise from their seats and applaud for us with proud smiles on their faces. I had been fantasizing about this moment for months, and the sense of accomplishment I would receive with it.
I had decided to take up this challenge of being able to perform at the International Kuchipudi Convention in late February of 2017. Practices started a few months later in May and didn't end until the day before our performance. Learning the choreography and perfecting it through a single practice the day before the performance, itt was an excruciating process. I can still hear the voice of my dance teacher in my head like a mantra, saying, "Relax, smile, and forget anyone else is there." Kuchipudi is an artform that emphasizes the storytelling aspect through dance, accompanied by amazing facial expressions. It is something I've been trying to perfect for the last decade.
September 3, 2017, the day I would be performing in the International Kuchipudi Dance Convention. The day arrived faster than I expected. I was so nervous, so much that I wasn't able to convey in words. I hadn't been able to sleep properly for the past two days I've been here in California. One, because of the 3-hour time zone difference, two, because we stayed up pretty late practicing that night, and three because the anxiety of performing soon had kept me awake. Landing in San Francisco, California had come with a massive headache because of the intense weather change from Georgia to California. My body had to cope with the weather going chilly and rainy Georgia to a blistering heat with temperatures of 110 degrees. However, my excitement for being here was enough to help me disregard the burning temperatures and the nauseating smell that came from here.
The day of, we began getting ready around 2 o'clock even though our performance was at 6 or 7. The process to get ready was long and laborious because it involved putting on our costume, jewelry, makeup, doing our hair, and applying alta (red dye) on our hands and feet. There was a lot to do, especially for my mom as she had my sister to help get ready as well. The green room was chaotic and loud filled with artists from all around the world. Once I felt like I looked decent enough, I left the room as I knew I would have to come back for touch-ups later.
I sat down in the audience with my dance mates, and began watching the programs. The programs consisted of seminars, performances, and lecture demonstrations. It was such an enlightening experience to watch all these professional dancers perform and talk about this art form that I admired in such great depth, something we often aren't able to do in class due to the time crunch. I found it so astounding, and I had turned around to talk about how great it was to one of my dance mates when I found that she wasn't there. I had gotten so immersed in the performances that I didn't even notice my group leaving. I looked around to see that all my other dance mates had left. I glanced at my phone to see what time it was. It was 6:20 and I had 13 missed calls from my mother. Quickly, I got up silently, trying my best not to disturb anyone else around me and headed towards the green room. Once I entered the room, the first thing I saw was my mom running towards me and yelling, "Where have you been all this time? You know you weren't completely ready. You are getting on stage in 10 minutes!"
Frantically, I run over the area we were getting ready in and quickly put everything else I need. All at once, I felt rejuvenated and ready. As quickly as I could, I put the bells around my feet and ran, making sure the noise wasn't too loud as I got into position, right in front the stairs connected to the stage.This was it. There was no turning back now. All of us, in our assigned positions, stood ready with bated breath and waited for the moment we had to start. We danced our hearts out. My mind surrendered itself to the familiar motions that I had been practicing for months, and I let my body move to the beat of the music.
It was a great risk only having one practice with all 10 of us together before the performance, but there was no other way as everyone lived in different states and commute was not short nor easy. It went amazing and we were able to tell the great stories of the Hindu gods : Parvati, Shiva and Ganesha through the amazing choreographies that were passed down from generation to generation. The experience was breathtaking to be able to partake in a convention with people that I looked up to and be able to meet them in person. Every single minute of practice put into this show was not put to waste and everyone returned home with a smile on their face.
