How a Dancer Evolved from a Student to an Artist on the Big Stage

by Seojin Ha, Sunset Senior

At just four years old, Anusha Jeyakumar’s mother enrolled her daughter into classical Indian dance classes, a style called Bharatanatyam. What began as just an extracurricular activity developed into a lifelong passion. As she developed her craft, Anusha learned to appreciate this spiritual art form.

Bharatanatyam, unlike most Western dance forms, focuses on the spiritual connection with the artist through the specific choreography. Whether it is a rhythm-forward piece showcasing the dancer’s stamina and body control, an expressive exhibition that tells a story, or a mix of both, Bharatanatyam transforms a choreography of body movements into a form of self-expression and cultural connection.

For the last thirteen years, Anusha danced under the tutelage of Sivagami Vanka at the Kalabharathi School of Dance in Bethany, where she has learned how to evolve from a simple dancer to an artist. This transition culminated in her Arangetram, an intense, once-in-a-lifetime performance that signifies a dancer’s growth. She performed alongside her sister which added a unique aspect to the traditional format of the Arangetram. This concert highlighted her dedication for her passion because, “We prepared this event for over a year, and there are just so many tasks to do that were behind the scenes like finding the venue, purchasing costumes, and advertising on top of the practice to learn hours of choreography.”

She had obstacles to over come, though. “As a dancer, it can be easy to feel like you’re not enough compared to the people around you.” She mentioned that there were several moments where her motivation went to extreme lows, but during these difficult times, she consistently reminded herself that dance was for herself. With this reflection, Anusha continued to dance and strengthened her spiritual health. “I wanted to do it for me, not for anyone else because dance should be about self-expression, not competition.”

For dancers and other performers, she suggests, “Forget about other people’s opinions. Growth can only happen if you believe in yourself because the best fan you can have is yourself.”