KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) senior reporter S Kisho Kumari did not let her age become a limiting factor to achieving her childhood dream to be a Bharathantyam dancer.
Last night, and at the age of 34, Kisho’s dream finally came true.
With her first anklet bells, she performed her maiden stage performance as a Bharathanatyam dancer at Taman Budaya Kuala Lumpur here.
Juggling between work and her love for Indian classical dance for the past two years, Kisho managed to complete her formal study of the dance at the Natyanjali Arts Academy (NAA), but admitted that it was not easy.
“There were tears in my eyes whenever I watched the Bharathanatyam performance because I kept wondering why it was so hard for me to learn this beautiful art. But with God’s grace, I am here for my Salangai Pooja,” she told Bernama after the 90-minute performance.
Salangai Pooja is a ceremony where the dance teacher ties the “Salangai” (anklet with bells) around her student’s ankles and blesses the student.
It is part of the Bharathanatyam tradition for the student to perform for the first time on stage.
Traditionally, students do not wear the anklet bells until their first performance ceremony (Salangai Pooja).
Meanwhile, Kisho’s dance teacher, Kokelaa Nisha, described her as a hardworking and sincere student since the first day she stepped into the dance class.
“There was a day when she called me and said she wanted to continue practising until 2.30am. At that moment, I could clearly see her determination and dedication,” said the NAA founder and choreographer. – Bernama
