Do you have a strong calling from within? How can you convert that calling into reality? ANJANA RAMESH shares the pursuit of her innate passion – the challenges faced and the lessons learnt on the way.
When I was three, my mother enrolled me in a dance class. Be it the school cultural program, college fests, or outstation programs, dance has always been a part of life for me.
You don’t quite realize the actual value of something you love until you lose it, or you are on the verge of losing it. When I started seriously studying at college, dance took a backseat. I almost lost it, for there was no time for dance classes or performances – nothing.
But this nothing is what actually drove me to find my something. I felt like a part of me was dying, and if I hadn’t saved it back then, I would have been completely lost by now.
I took an overnight decision to pursue what I love. Dance had a completely different meaning that night; I had never experienced this bond that I share with the art before. It was an awakening, an inner calling, and that has kept me alive ever since.
With a busy travel schedule, performances every month, teaching classes, managing an institution, and studying, life has surely become challenging in a very beautiful way. There are no weekends, no partying, no socializing, and no 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. work timings. My schedule is unpredictable and physically demanding, but mentally I’m content and happy. Performing at different venues enables me to travel across the globe, meet different people and share ideas, visions and my art.
Teaching dance fills me with a rejuvenating energy, as my students are so full of positivity, happiness, love, and an undying enthusiasm to learn. I teach with an aim to have them understand the dance form as a whole, not just as a performing art.
But I never stopped being a student. I always wanted to study, and enjoy reading and learning new things. This innate desire led me to pursue a Masters in Fine Arts, and the course has changed my entire approach to dance – my outlook, the way I dance, and the way I think, and the quality of reasoning and going beyond. Peace and quiet are things that dance brings. It is something I will go into at a deeper level.
The moments I cherish most are those when I dance for myself, lost in the moment, lost within. These moments help me explore dance for what it is. It helps me identify with the inner calling and find a new dimension each time. I have realized that dance not only helps the dancer find joy, it is also a language that can help overcome stress, agony, and depression, taking the audience to another plane.
In life, there are certain decisions that you will take. There is a voice from within calling out, a constant nudge to listen to yourself. Hear yourself out. Society may tell you what to do, but you are the only one who can tell yourself what is right for you. Do you want it?
Life is too short to make wasted decisions and live with regrets later on. If you know you can create something out of your passion, then give it a shot. It may be challenging, but if you are committed and true to yourself, your life will become meaningful. Try overcoming your fears with your passion, and you will be surprised at the enormous strength and energy that comes to you.
You are enough for yourself.
Article by ANJANA RAMESH
Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL
