After spending six years practicing Bharata Natyam, a type of Indian dancing, sophomore Juhi Nayak was one of only six girls from the Dances of India school to showcase her skills at Chaminade.
To prepare for her performance, Nayak began piecing together different dance numbers a year in advance. While practices were initially a couple times a week, she gradually worked up to daily practices , sometimes dancing for more than three hours per day.
“I didn’t get much sleep when I was rehearsing every day, but for me, dancing isn’t a chore. It’s just like a regular sport and I had to learn to manage school with my practices. I wouldn’t have been able to manage without Ac Lab,” Nayak said.
Besides learning new time management skills, Nayak also had to improve two major aspects of Indian dancing: footwork and expression. While footwork, which is basic dance moves, comes naturally to Nayak, she struggled with expression. Expressions are the facial expressions she makes to convey the message of the dance.
“I think expressions were harder for me because you need to mature a little more before you can properly express certain emotions,” Nayak said.
For her actual performance, Nayak had to prepare nine different numbers to perform. These included three basic dances, one main dance, an expression dance, and a dance that Nayak choreographed herself.
“My teacher knows how much i love dancing, so she gave me as much to do as she could,” Nayak said.
In addition to her performance at Chaminade, Nayak also participates in different events with Dances of India. Her group performs at Festival of Nations, Washington University, and different churches and temples. These performances give Nayak and the other dancers a chance to show their skills.
“Indian dancing is a lot more complex than it appears. It requires a lot of energy to move and make the right facial expressions at the same time. You have to build up your stamina to make it through the performance,” Nayak said.
When Nayak started dancing at nine years old, she was unsure about what to expect or what she could gain from it. Despite her hesitations, Nayak says her dancing has become an extremely important part of her life.
“”When I dance, I become a different person. I’m more confident and I feel more powerful. It feels so good to be on stage. It just feels right,” Nayak said.
