The art of riyaaz
Riyaaz or Abhiyas in Hindi means practice. Practice itself is an art, and to master any art, it can not be done without practice, no matter how much talent you might be born with. Remember the hare and turtle story? Slow and steady always wins the race. My journey in Bharatanatyam started much later in life, I had no exposure or opportunity to this art form while growing up, it’s by sheer coincidence that I bumped into this art. It has only been 8 years in this dance, however I have evolved from a raw beginner with no good body posture, techniques, understanding of hindu mythology or the talam to a full bloom dancer who now processes grace, energy, posture, precision, speed and have knowledge in hindu mythology and also studying Carnatic music. I am of course not perfect, but the progress is huge.
I want to thank my harsh upbringing and environment I grew up in that made me disciplined and resilient, for the past 8 years, I practiced almost every single day no matter rain or shine. I would either get up really early in the morning to get my practice done the very first thing in the morning or practice after work is over later in the evening. It’s not easy, it takes willpower to get myself to practice most days, the early mornings are tough especially in the northeast region of the US, because it’s so cold and so dark and it takes extra willpower to get up, it’s much easier to just give up and sleep in, however I got up, with a goal in mind, with an image in mind that I will someday dance like those dancers I aspire to.
A lot of you who read this post probably had the privilege to study this art form from a very young age, however didn’t continue it after reaching adulthood due to schools or personal reasons. Some of you might want to get back to dance after a long hideous break. Some of you might think you don’t need to practice daily because you already know the drill, but I am telling you from experience, if you want to advance as a dancer, you should make practice a habit and do it religiously often.
As artists we have to constantly push ourselves to reach higher ground, to attain what seems to be unattainable and set goals that seems far fetched. The beginning years might seem like your efforts are all in vain, but after you get over that initial hump, you have already conquered half the sky. Keep practicing, and never ever let obstacles become your obstacles.