House No 417, Road Number 14 Banjara Hills, my dance school - abode of my Guru Smt. Hemamalini Arni - I spend one precious hour every saturday and sunday - trying to extract all that I can from my Bharatnatyam lessons rendered by her.
I can see my teacher, who is now more than 60, neatly braced on a cane chair in her verandah, with a wooden stick in one hand and a wooden plank on her lap (she uses them for the talas) waiting for her students to assemble so that she can start the class for the day, as I enter the drawing room of her home which leads to the verandah. If there is another dance lesson for her senior students in progress, which is sometimes the case on saturdays, if I am early to class, I am a spectator to the on going dance classes. I am awestricken each time. Watching the seniors is really inspiring.
I am writing this post because I want to write down some words, which I know can never be enough, for one lady I admire so much.
Herself having been trained under Padma Bushan Smt. T.Balaswaraswati, Guru Hemamalini Arni has made brilliant dancers out of little girls aged four and five over a period of seven to eight years of dedication and hard work from her and the students of course. She demands perfection in style, poise, posture, composure, health, expressions, mudras from each one of us, always correcting each small mistake, trying to infuse all that she has in each of her students.
It is a wonder that she is so well versed with her students' flaws! That is my Guru, my guide. Her delivery style has made me love the art of Bharatnatyam more. Being her student I realize the amount of effort that needs to go in to achieve perfection.
She is a teacher in the real sense of the word - her teachings about morals and strength of character in between the lessons are what I love listening to. It is bliss to have her as my teacher - I know she is blessing me as I practice my dance lessons and work towards being a dancer.
