Hi everyone!
I'm currently not in the best place to blog but I'll try and condense this!
Today training started! The steps themselves were not rocket science but I had to do everything 100 times and it had to be completely perfect. After what felt like a lifetime it was over and breakfast time but then I was left to practice and rest for 2 hours! So there has been a lot of dance today. Went to Aunty's lunch as per usual and a professor from a famous university here was also round. He is an expert in Kathakali and also from Kerala and so most of the afternoon I was surrounded by Malayalam chat. After lunch and some more rest and chai we went to Gariahat campus agains to watch some young classes taught by my teacher's students. Alas we were early and I had to practice again this time not only in front of my teacher but in front of one of the male teachers that was there!
Studying dance here is a very humbling experience because coming from England as a Grade 1 Bharatanatyam student of 2 years passing with 95% I was still a beginner but a confident one and surrounded by a class that felt like family. But here I am at the bottom of the pile, with technique that forever needs correcting, stances that need to be lower, legs that need to be higher. I think for a lot of people it could push you away from dance but I find it humbling and inspiring because I am forced to realise how vast this dance style is. Watching young women practice who have only been learning for 6 years but dance like professionals is inspiring and it makes you realise how hard they work.
Also I have a cold. I have a bloody cold in India of all places.
So now let's talk a little more about linguistics. I'm using a mix of Hindi and English at the moment but actually most Bengalis here are more comfortable conversing in English than Hindi. My teacher's driver doesn't speak English and only speaks in Hindi to me which is great for my Hindi. My teacher's cook only speaks in Bangla to me and it's a lot of fun trying to figure out what she's saying. I am slowly picking up more Bangla because it is around me all the time and now I am even thinking things in Bangla. So things are good in the language department! Now to find someone to teach me to read and write Bangla!
That's all for today!
I'm currently not in the best place to blog but I'll try and condense this!
Today training started! The steps themselves were not rocket science but I had to do everything 100 times and it had to be completely perfect. After what felt like a lifetime it was over and breakfast time but then I was left to practice and rest for 2 hours! So there has been a lot of dance today. Went to Aunty's lunch as per usual and a professor from a famous university here was also round. He is an expert in Kathakali and also from Kerala and so most of the afternoon I was surrounded by Malayalam chat. After lunch and some more rest and chai we went to Gariahat campus agains to watch some young classes taught by my teacher's students. Alas we were early and I had to practice again this time not only in front of my teacher but in front of one of the male teachers that was there!
Studying dance here is a very humbling experience because coming from England as a Grade 1 Bharatanatyam student of 2 years passing with 95% I was still a beginner but a confident one and surrounded by a class that felt like family. But here I am at the bottom of the pile, with technique that forever needs correcting, stances that need to be lower, legs that need to be higher. I think for a lot of people it could push you away from dance but I find it humbling and inspiring because I am forced to realise how vast this dance style is. Watching young women practice who have only been learning for 6 years but dance like professionals is inspiring and it makes you realise how hard they work.
Also I have a cold. I have a bloody cold in India of all places.
So now let's talk a little more about linguistics. I'm using a mix of Hindi and English at the moment but actually most Bengalis here are more comfortable conversing in English than Hindi. My teacher's driver doesn't speak English and only speaks in Hindi to me which is great for my Hindi. My teacher's cook only speaks in Bangla to me and it's a lot of fun trying to figure out what she's saying. I am slowly picking up more Bangla because it is around me all the time and now I am even thinking things in Bangla. So things are good in the language department! Now to find someone to teach me to read and write Bangla!
That's all for today!
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