Hello!
Ok so let's go through today shall we? So I was up at 6:30 this morning... yes that's right on a Saturday morning! Kalamandalam has a big building near Salt Lake, from what I could tell it's not entirely finished yet. I went to join in with two of the classes going on, so I slaved away in the first class and the other student who is living with me said she was impressed with how much I did, and apparently Aunty said so too (if my understanding of her Hindi was correct!). I did really push myself today, and just kept going. After that class I got to have a break during another class and then I was back to dancing to learn a choreography I had started learning briefly in England. Girija Aunty was assigned to teach me this with the rest of the class while Aunty went to teach elsewhere. Girija Aunty is very strict and when she'd finished teaching the class and I the first few minutes of the piece and had taken them through the rest of their class while I sat and watched, she called me up again as the rest of the class were leaving and made me go through it again and then learn the next few minutes D: So I was dead by lunchtime.
The afternoon passed quite leisurely, after lunch I just said and lost myself in a book for a few hours. Then evening came and Aunty changed into a sari which always means she's going out somewhere. Tonight she went to a children's carnatic music concert. Since there was no dancing she didn't think I'd want to go, so I had the choice of staying in the flat alone for a few hours or going with Girija Aunty to her evening class. Naturally I opted to go and watch her class. There were about 6 girls roughly my age in her class and of course I loved watching.
Then the best thing about today happened. In the class after Girija Aunty's, taught by another student-come-teacher of Aunty's, there were three male students! Other than myself I've never seen another male Bharatanatyam student. It was so amazing to watch them! They danced with such strength and precision and it was just great to see other guys. Sometimes always being the only guy in the room can get lonely but three in one class! I didn't actually get to speak to them, although they did say bye when I left. I am planning to make sure I get to go and watch next Saturday and then try and pluck up the courage to talk to them. I do know the basic greetings in Bangla actually so I could try actually speaking some Bangla for once! Seeing that class tonight is pretty much enough inspiration to last me weeks, so I am now very content :)
I'm planning to walk to Ekdalia tomorrow, aka the place where I shower and where all of my stuff is. I'm braving the walk alone! Then I'm back at Aunty's for breakfast and ready to go to Sunday morning classes! I'm also hoping to go back to Ekdalia in the afternoon to finally get some decent Kathak practice in. Until next time!
Ok so let's go through today shall we? So I was up at 6:30 this morning... yes that's right on a Saturday morning! Kalamandalam has a big building near Salt Lake, from what I could tell it's not entirely finished yet. I went to join in with two of the classes going on, so I slaved away in the first class and the other student who is living with me said she was impressed with how much I did, and apparently Aunty said so too (if my understanding of her Hindi was correct!). I did really push myself today, and just kept going. After that class I got to have a break during another class and then I was back to dancing to learn a choreography I had started learning briefly in England. Girija Aunty was assigned to teach me this with the rest of the class while Aunty went to teach elsewhere. Girija Aunty is very strict and when she'd finished teaching the class and I the first few minutes of the piece and had taken them through the rest of their class while I sat and watched, she called me up again as the rest of the class were leaving and made me go through it again and then learn the next few minutes D: So I was dead by lunchtime.
The afternoon passed quite leisurely, after lunch I just said and lost myself in a book for a few hours. Then evening came and Aunty changed into a sari which always means she's going out somewhere. Tonight she went to a children's carnatic music concert. Since there was no dancing she didn't think I'd want to go, so I had the choice of staying in the flat alone for a few hours or going with Girija Aunty to her evening class. Naturally I opted to go and watch her class. There were about 6 girls roughly my age in her class and of course I loved watching.
Then the best thing about today happened. In the class after Girija Aunty's, taught by another student-come-teacher of Aunty's, there were three male students! Other than myself I've never seen another male Bharatanatyam student. It was so amazing to watch them! They danced with such strength and precision and it was just great to see other guys. Sometimes always being the only guy in the room can get lonely but three in one class! I didn't actually get to speak to them, although they did say bye when I left. I am planning to make sure I get to go and watch next Saturday and then try and pluck up the courage to talk to them. I do know the basic greetings in Bangla actually so I could try actually speaking some Bangla for once! Seeing that class tonight is pretty much enough inspiration to last me weeks, so I am now very content :)
I'm planning to walk to Ekdalia tomorrow, aka the place where I shower and where all of my stuff is. I'm braving the walk alone! Then I'm back at Aunty's for breakfast and ready to go to Sunday morning classes! I'm also hoping to go back to Ekdalia in the afternoon to finally get some decent Kathak practice in. Until next time!
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