[neha]

Please comment on your thoughts, opinions, and questions about Alexandra's Ranga Pravesh on May 15, 2004.

[nehal]

hello!
I think sachas didis ranga pravesh has grew a more happy joly and glowing sacha didi in her who's more involved and helpful as days go on I feel any one who missed her ranga pravesh missed out on something very special and heart warmingand of course BIG!
nehal

[Radhika Chandra]

I agree with what Nehal wrote.

This Ranga Pravesh really opened my eyes to dance. It inspired me a lot. It got me thinking about what dance really is and even if you are not from that culture, you can project this art and share it with all of your friends.

Thank you, Sacha Didi, for sharing this art form that we all love very much.
Your Ranga Pravesh is an offering everyone is going to remember.

Radhika Chandra

[Niharika Chandra]

First of all, I would just like to mention that it felt great to see another Kala Bharati School student perform her Ranga Pravesh, which she clearly worked hard for. I would like to thank Mamata Aunty for giving Sacha didi this opportunity.

I think Nehal has simply stated what everyone notices when they see Sacha didi at the dance studio: A radiant Sacha didi! Ever since she performed her last item, the Tillana, Sacha didi couldn't stop smiling and appreciating these moments of her life. Fulfilling her dream of performing her Ranga Pravesh has, I guess, completed Sacha didi.

One small detail that really surprised me while watching the Ranga Pravesh was how comfortable Sacha didi appeared on stage. It seemed as if she had been performing her entire life and that this performance was just another level, which she deserved to accomplish. I believe that all of those performances which she had done solo or with the group really helped her prepare for this event.

I am so happy for Sacha didi because she really deserved this opportunity. She has improved a great deal in her technique and she has grown so much through her training. Sacha didi, I wish you the best in everything you do and I hope your Ranga Pravesh is just the beginning of your experiences through Bharatanatya.

Niharika

[Reeshu]

i totally agree with every comment made above about the Ranga Pravesh. Sacha didi showed in her performance all the hard work she put in for her special day, and she definately made me feel like also performing and hopefully one day reach her level.
i also noticed the abhinaya and strength in each and every movement. i agree with Niharika didi's point about her feeling comfortable on stage.
i have to mention that the background decor looked really nice with her dress both before and after the intermission... its just something i noticed ( )
Now Sacha didi is working hard and is extremely involoved with the dance school, she organized the whole end of session presentation right after her Ranga Pravesh... this is really someone who inspires me.

thank you,
-reesha-

[Sacha]

Hello everyone,
I am so happy to see the comments that you have posted so far !!! So that I do not miss any points that you all have mentioned, I will respond according to the order of posting.

I am very glad that you see a happier and more joyous Sacha didi Nehal. It was an incredible event which has helped me and taught me many things. The transmission of joy being one of them.

Radhika, you touched upon an interesting point that is very important for me- that of the universal nature of B.N. You do not have to be from the same country, speaking the same language, steeped in a specific religion. Rather, you simply have to open yourself to the incredibly beautiful art form and appreciate its wondrous capabilities. I have always felt very strongly and try to convey that B.N. is a universal art form that conveys messages to people of all places and backgrounds. Therefore, it is only right that the messanger be from any place and background. Indeed, the universality of the language is something that speaks very deeply to me.

Niharika, you also brought up an interesting point concerning the feelings involved. I would not necessarily say that the experience completed me. Rather, what I would say is that the journey allowed me to touch and commune with a part of myself that I did not know I could. Just to share with you here is an extract of an e-mail that I sent to Mamata AUnty

(Mamata Aunty) Your constant support and guidance has made it
possible for me to look deep inside myself and come to
a place and state of being which I did not know I
could reach. Not only that, being in that incredibly
special place allowed me to reach out to those around
me in a way I never knew was possible. For that, I am
eternally grateful and cannot thank you enough.

Another point I would like to comment upon, Niharika, is what you mentioned in regards to the stage. I am extremely blessed in that for some reason I have always felt at home on a stage. Interestingly enough, Murari commented on the same thing at my technical rehearsal (he said it showed that I felt at home on the stage). If you are able to reach the point where a stage no longer daunts you (through performing regularly etc.) then you are more able to reach out and explore the item and the communion you are experiencing with the audience. In any case, I can tell you it is an incredible experience and I am extremely blessed to have Mamata Aunty and the teachers who made it possible.

Finally, Reesha, I am glad you liked the decor. We had definitely had some interesting times discussing the decor. These elements cannot be forgotten in a performance as they can add to or detract from the performance itself (as Aunty mentions the ambiance is a vital factor in helping to convey the messages you want to the audience). As for organizing the end of session well I had certainly had Mamata Aunty's guidance and help as well as the other teachers and the help of the seniors as well as the parents and so in the end it is really a team effort involved.

Looking forward to more comments,
love,
Sacha didi

[Niharika Chandra]

Sacha didi, you are right. You did feel at "home" on the stage. That takes a lot of experience. Did you ever noticed that Jaya didi and Renu didi also feel at home on the stage? You three are amazing dancers and continue to inspire every one of us everyday.

I completely forgot to mention the beautiful decors on the stage. Thank you for reminding me, Reesha. The decors were perfect for the performance and they added a feeling of being at the temple. And of course, your dress, Sacha didi, matched perfectly with everything.

Thank you again for inspiring the KB gang through your Ranga Pravesh.
Niharika

[JayaSC]

Dear All,

It was very nice for me to read the comments on another very special Kala Bharati event, Sacha's Ranga Pravesh.
It is interesting for me to read what all students have noticed from a spectator's and eager student's perspective and now I will share a few of my own reflections after having been part of this journey... from behind the scenes!
Every KB RP has had an impact on the development of the student's dancing ability which is seen and felt on the day of the presentation however a larger impact is always on the dancer's development as an individual, what I call a "spiritual transformation" . Being part of Sacha's team of teachers or helpers has allowed me to witness the strength of our precious art which has the potential to tap into the individual's inner being and act as a vehicle to transmit these intimate feelings or impressions of the soul to those who witness them. This allows the audience to experience the depths of one's inner Truth which cannot be translated into words. This is the power of our art and I am blessed to have been given the opportunity by our Guru Mamata Aunty, who has not only been the instrument for my own learning but for my own spiritual growth through Bharata Natya.

I can only tell Sacha that she too reached a level that truly only those of us who were part of the process can fully appreciate but then I can only wish that all the younger dancers have the same appetite for this beautiful and sacred artform and imbibe it as Sacha has through her spiritual journey in dance.

yours,
Jaya didi

[Bellaprincipessa]

Hello everyone,
I am very sorry for the delay of writing.
I have read all your comments on Sacha did's ranga pravesh, I too, felt that while watching the show, she felt really comfortable up on stage.
Not only that, I also felt that as the show was progressing, so was Didi's energy and liveliness. And by the end of the show, (at the last ranga kramana) she just had such a big smile on her face that, I for one, felt as if I had been the one up there dancing and finishing such a show.
It was my third ranga pravesh that I have seen during my stay with the Kala Bharati family, and I hope that someday I can be up there and sharing my love of dance with everyone.
Love,
Reena