Tuesday 24 / December / 2024
Aburva Govindarajan, a Grade 10 student from Indian School Sohar, recently participated in an internationally acclaimed dance festival, entitled Hidden Idol. Having learnt Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of Githaa Ravishannkhar, she has also completed her four-year diploma in this dance and has won prizes and accolades in several dance events. She has also authored a book on her dancing journey.
“Entry into this event is the culmination of various auditions and a rigorous selection procedure and I was on cloud nine when I received the message stating my selection into the finals, where dancers across the globe and India come owing to their outstanding performances,” said Aburva, while reminiscing about her experiences.
This festival was held at Chidambaram, where hundreds of dancers gather annually to pay a dance tribute, popularly known as Natayanjali. Talking about her preparations, Aburva said that she had only two days to learn the dance, which was completely new to her, noting that her dance teacher’s expertise helped her in this.
“Though I have danced in many programmes with live orchestra, this time it was more challenging, as the synchronisation session was scheduled just a couple of hours before the mega event,” she added. She said that on the day of the event, there was great excitement, as well as some anxiety in the air, as finalists from various dance schools were participating. During those days, she had to manage her academic commitments, too.
“The rehearsal for the mega programme was in the morning on the day of the event. But in the evening of the festival, sudden thunderstorms and heavy rains lashed the ancient hall, which contained thousands of pillars depicting the dance postures. There was complete chaos,” she remembered. Eventually, however, the grand finale was held.
“It was a proud moment when they announced that my entry was the first from the Sultanate of Oman. This beautiful country is close to my heart, and I have detailed my pleasant memories in my book, Footprints of a Young Dancer, she added. There were many enquires from the other dancers, and Aburva shared with them about the various facets, including the country’s historical importance, diversity, pristine beaches, places of cultural heritage, tradition, and friendly citizens.
Highlighting the benefits of participating in this event, Aburva said that it gave her ample opportunity to know, interact, and learn from other dancers. Participants from India, America, Sri Lanka, and Europe were part of the selected artists.
The dances were also choreographed, with a few contemporary steps, which provided an opportunity to learn new trends in the art. “Learning is a never ending process. This kind of participation inspires budding artists like me to perform on new platforms. It also boosts one’s confidence in taking up new challenges,” she added.
Her presence at the festival also gave new impetus to her artistic pursuits, and identified her as one among the winners. While expressing her gratitude for the support and guidance of her parents, school, and dance teacher, Aburva was elated to share that she received the opportunity to perform on a leading television channel and forthcoming world dance festivals.
