Recently, I was invited to perform for RASA’s year end program. The program included performances by four artistes. Three of the performances were music programs, I did a dance performance. The program was done at RASA. It was live streamed.
RASA Year End Festival 2024
You can view my performance here:
In this blog post, I will talk about how I prepared for the RASA year end program.
I finished my performance for the RASA end of the year program on March 30th. I presented four dances:
1) Gajamukham by Sadhu Om swami, set to music by Dr. Ambika Kameshwar. Set to Naatai ragam, talam malika. Choreographed by Ujwal Jagadeesh.
2) Idhaya Guhai by Shuddananda Bharathi. Raga Mayamalava Gowla, Tala Adi. Music by L Krishnan and choreography by Ujwal Jagadeesh
3) Endhayum Thayum, by Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar. Ragam Bheeemplas.Talam Adi. Choreography by Dr. Ambika Kameshwar
4) Arunachal mein is a Hindi translation by Dr. Sarada Natarajan inspired by the words of Ganapathi Muni. Music by HK Narayana. Raga Madhyamavathi, Tala Adi. Sung by Dr. Ambika Kameshwar and Dr. Vaishnavi Poorna. Choreography by Ujwal Jagadeesh.
Artistes must prepare well for every performance. First, I had to figure out how to prepare for the program. For example, I had to prepare more for the songs that were new for me rather than the ones I knew well and had performed earlier
Second, I had to decide on the time for preparation. I had to memorize all the songs two days before the program because I had to go to Tiruvannamalai between March 28th and March 30th. When I got to Chennai from Tiruvannamalai, I had to practice the four pieces before I went to the program.
Daily Practice
I practice dance daily because now I am also doing a diploma in Bharatanatyam.
Morning
In the morning, I practice dance daily. I practice after my walk. But if I am preparing for a program, I prioritize practice and do my dance practice before going for a walk. I record the dances in class and then practice them. Now, I also listen to some Ramashramam chants so I can focus better on my practice.
Evening
I also practice dance daily in the evening. First, I go for a walk and then I practice my dance. Sometimes, I dance before I go for a walk.
Night
In the night, I practice the hand gestures and facial expressions. I usually practice the sahityam portion at night without doing the full practice. This enables me to focus on expression without worrying about the foot movements. This technique helps me learn the dance more easily. Also, I can practice longer because I can do this practice at any time of the day.
One minute practice
We are also exploring a technique for focused practice and memorization. My mother suggested that I should try and memorize one minute of the song daily. Otherwise, if I keep practicing the whole song, I cannot memorize it that easily. My piano teacher also used to advise me not to play the song all the way through for practice. She used to suggest focusing on specific parts for practice. I intend to explore this technique more in the future.
Getting Ready for the performance
Recently, I got a new costume stitched. I had jewellery from my arangetram. I also bought a couple of jewellery items recently. I also had a make-up kit. I left all these items in Chennai on my previous trip since I knew I would be traveling to Tiruvannamalai and then straight to Chennai for performing at the RASA year-end program. So, everything was ready.
On the day of the performance, I wore my costume at home. My mother, my aunt and I went to RASA and my mother helped me put on my makeup and jewellery there.
The Performance
I enjoyed performing the four dances. I was very tired after the Tiruvannamalai trip but I was able to dance well. I returned to Bangalore on March 31, 2024. It was an exciting trip with a visit to Tiruvannamalai and a performance. I was very tired when I came back, but the trip was very enjoyable and memorable.
Parent Note
We were excited that Ananth had an opportunity to perform at the RASA year-end program. But we were also concerned about how he would be able to handle the Tiruvannamalai trip followed by a performance of four items. Ananth was very keen on visiting Tiruvannamalai before going to London. The only dates that worked for us were March 28 and 29th. We travelled back to Chennai on 30th morning.
On our previous trip to Tiruvannamalai, Ananth had discovered the Ramanasramam Tamil Parayana as a relaxing listening experience. Since that time, we have noticed that he is increasing his capacity to handle tiredness, heat, and other discomfort. For example, he had to prepare for his role in RASA Day 24 quickly after the February trip, record the performance, and attend a family event and RASA Day. It is that previous experience that gave me some confidence that he could handle the Tiruvannamalai trip and the RASA year-end performance.
Multiple people commented that he looked energetic and handled himself well and did not show signs of a tiring trip. We returned to Bengaluru the day after the performance. He had a tough day with digestion challenges, heat, fatigue, and consumption of some sugary drinks. But he used chants, activities around the house, and other techniques to handle discomfort and stress. It was an exciting moment for us since Ananth had an opportunity to perform and to discover that he is making great strides on his journey to stress management and emotional regulation.