It's really happening!

In April I received the best news ever! I have been granted the Fulbright Award to study and research dance in India. I will be leaving on August 15th, 2010 and returning to the US around May 15th, 2011.

I am ecstatic to spend the coming 9 months of my life in India. Through this journey, I hope to unearth an ocean of knowledge about dance but more importantly I hope to find myself, fuel my passion and fall in love with my culture.

I will spend a majority of my time in the city I was born in, Hyderabad. It is located in central India but culturally considered a part of Southern India. Hyderabad is the capital of the state Andhra Pradesh. The languages spoken in the city are predominantly Telugu and Urdu. Though I am familiar with Telugu, I have very limited experience with Urdu, a sister language of Hindi.

A portion of my time will be spent in Delhi, the country’s capital. Hindi is widely spoken throughout India, especially in Delhi. The fact that I am not familiar with Hindi at all is nerve racking. I will try to learn Hindi during my time there.

I am blessed to have two mentors that are at the top of the dance field. They are widely known all over India for their contributions to Indian Classical Dance, especially Kuchipudi dance.

Uma Rama Rao will be my mentor in Hyderbad. Though she is nearly 72, she is still one of the most lively dance teachers I have ever met. I had the chance to learn dance from her in the Bay Area and in India a couple years ago. Uma aunty is unbelievably witty and smart. If there was one person who could epitomize the saying "young at heart" it would be her. She has opinions on everything and she is never afraid to say it.

Earlier this year Uma aunty had to go through a bypass surgery. We were afraid that she would not continue teaching me if she was not in good health. Her own son supposedly wanted her to move to the US and stay with him but she refused. Uma aunty's dedication to Kuchipudi dance, especially research in Kuchipudi has kept her in India. She is truly an inspiration. Even while speaking with her on the phone, I can tell that she is thrilled that I am coming to study under her.

My second mentor is the one and only Yamini Krishnamurthi. Yamini aunty was a pioneer in Indian Classical Dance in the 1960s. Even back then, when Indian dance was not as popular or well known, she traveled around the world performing. She is well versed in Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam and Odissi.

My family had the chance to host Yamini Aunty in our home two summers ago, when she came to California. If you have ever seen her dance you will understand what I mean when I say shes truly mesmerizing. I have watched many many dancers in my life but when I watch Yamini aunty dance I just cannot peel my eyes away. I have never seen anyone have as much fun with dance as she has. This is evident in her rendition of Mandooka Sabdam, a dance piece that I will learn from her during my time in India.

I was so thrilled when I found out that she said she was willing to teach me dance. This is an opportunity that any Indian classical dancer would die for.

I hope through this blog I can share with everyone my experiences in India and ideally provide some insight about Kuchipudi dance.