Mommy wasn't the usual dance teacher that we all see in studios who teaches only for amazingly talented students. She is a one who even makes a person to dance even though they do not have the talent or enough strength to do it.
Students from all over the country used to come to mom and join her classes during school holiday time and learn whatever they can. Even there were certain dance teachers who don't have the patience to teach a small child with the basics of natyam will recommend amma. She's the epitome of "porumai" when it comes to dance.
She will take most of the private lessons in house. At that time, we all were very particular that no other chores will go in our house. Even if dad need to watch the evening news he had to go to our neighbors house. In mid of 90's we only had one TV and I still remember the brand - SHARP (which actually went to service for a zillion times since 95-05). And during this private class sessions, I'll be the play, forward and rewind girl and also listen to the lyrics properly and tell it to amma, so that she can choreograph.
My brother - from dining hall, he will be the commentator, let it be mom or the student. Mom used to say that he is brilliant child who can easily finds mistakes in the adavu's and mudra's but he don't dance. Still he does the same, even I'll be a little hesitate to practice or comment about natyam in front of him. What will I do, if he finds a mistake in mine? :p But yeah, those classes will actually filled with lots of laughter and full of knowledge.
I mostly learnt to dance from those classes only - basically the students parents all had a little grudge on me. Either I'm taller than their daughters or dance even so well than their professional classical dance performers. Well I was just about 6-10 years old during that period of time. Most of the time, I'll be doing the demo for those akka's if only they're learning for pure classical songs - I'm allowed only for pure classical else a big NO. The students really adore me, and some even help me out in homework's during their break time. And I do the vice versa.
Basically she made sure that I don't learn nor perform for any cinematic classical songs. She also prefers only classical for all of us ( including her students ) but most of the parents force my mom to teach cine classical for their children's. She will try to convince them saying she's is still a child, and why are you making her to explore to cinema song but enga keppanga - nallathukku kaalam illeye. Some parents even will say harsh words, we're paying you and just do as we say! During that time time, if my mom was in good mood, blessed they are, but if only she is in already bad mood, duhhhhhh.. Take your child and get out from my home and don't come back to my classes hereafter - will be her stern reply.
When such situation happens, these parents will look for my father and complaint a lot about amma to him. Oh your wife is so head weight lady, she don't respect the money nor she teaches our children as we required. Mr.Rajoo, Please talk to your wife and ask her to take back our children back to her classes. These girl never want any other teacher if it's not your wife. And my father will be like why I'm being pulled between this - well fine I'll try to talk. In mean while these parents will seek for another parents recommendations too. Well after all these no sense talks ( yes, I tag them as no sense talks - when you're talking to the guru of the child, respect them, do not think only your money is valuable thing and not the teachers knowledge) mom will take the child back to the class, but just for child's sake.
I always wonder how mom managed to choreograph different adavus with mudras to the same line for many other students. This wonder made me to learnt the nuances of natyam and of most jathi's and how to choreograph adavu's for them accordingly to the talakattu (rhythm). My biggest competitor is my sister and as she's away from home to work in Singapore, I took the chance of learning a lot of things from my mother. My mom, used to say that there's no one can dance like her elder daughter, and this actually irks me a lot.. Like really a lot! I wanted to prove something to my mother in this.
So from then on, began my training for arrangetram in end of 2001 with the songs I already knew such as Alarippu, Hamsanandi (Raag) Jathiswaram and Kanada raag Thillana. Once polished up with adavus for these three songs then in mid of 2002, my mom started to teach me Varnam - Swami Naan Undan Adimei ....
When such situation happens, these parents will look for my father and complaint a lot about amma to him. Oh your wife is so head weight lady, she don't respect the money nor she teaches our children as we required. Mr.Rajoo, Please talk to your wife and ask her to take back our children back to her classes. These girl never want any other teacher if it's not your wife. And my father will be like why I'm being pulled between this - well fine I'll try to talk. In mean while these parents will seek for another parents recommendations too. Well after all these no sense talks ( yes, I tag them as no sense talks - when you're talking to the guru of the child, respect them, do not think only your money is valuable thing and not the teachers knowledge) mom will take the child back to the class, but just for child's sake.
I always wonder how mom managed to choreograph different adavus with mudras to the same line for many other students. This wonder made me to learnt the nuances of natyam and of most jathi's and how to choreograph adavu's for them accordingly to the talakattu (rhythm). My biggest competitor is my sister and as she's away from home to work in Singapore, I took the chance of learning a lot of things from my mother. My mom, used to say that there's no one can dance like her elder daughter, and this actually irks me a lot.. Like really a lot! I wanted to prove something to my mother in this.
So from then on, began my training for arrangetram in end of 2001 with the songs I already knew such as Alarippu, Hamsanandi (Raag) Jathiswaram and Kanada raag Thillana. Once polished up with adavus for these three songs then in mid of 2002, my mom started to teach me Varnam - Swami Naan Undan Adimei ....
