4 years ago I was rehearsing and practicing almost 3 times a week for my arangetram in March 2012. It’s been so long and yet I feel like it only took place yesterday, because the amount of time spent on dancing was insane but in the end, it was completely worth it. At the time, I remember it was a lot of hard work and required perseverance but I was dedicated and willing to continue and give it my best. Ofcourse, it could not have happened without my dance teacher, Sandhya Aunty. She taught me, she scolded me, she corrected me but most importantly she encouraged me, and I know for a fact without all of that and the support from my friends and family, I would not have been able to do my arangetram as well as I did. For my final performance, I was nervous because I had to give a 2 hour solo performance, I was excited because it marked the end of a chapter for me, and I was anxious because there were just too many people watching. I did a total of 8 dances which of course required a lot of stamina, and this only came with all that practice. At the beginning, let alone Sandhya Aunty, but even I didn’t think I could do it because of how long each song was, but with all that pushing and motivation by Aunty, my family and friends, I knew I couldn’t give up. I had to this for myself, but most of all I had to do it for the people who technically made it happen. I’ve tried to keep in touch with the dances and went for a few classes after my arangetram, but with finals and university starting it just becomes so hard. Sandhya Aunty, I just want you to know you’ll always be my dance guru and no matter what, this will always be one of my biggest achievements in my life – and that’s all thanks to you. It was a wonderful experience and a proud moment of my life I can never forget.