Belonging
With cold stone floors, walls the color of terracotta, and the pungent aroma of the Indian restaurant next door barely covered by jasmine incense, my dance teacher’s studio is nothing out of the ordinary. Every Saturday morning since I was five, I’ve walked into this building, carefully slipping out of my shoes and tying a Indian shawl called a dupatta around my waist. I greet my teacher, calling her “aunty” as a form of respect, and make my way to the back to pray before my dance group and I start our dance practice. I learn Bharatanatyam, a form of Indian classical dance originating in Southern India about 2,000 years ago. As the daughter of immigrants, I’ve often felt conflicted growing up in the Bay Area, with pressure to keep in touch with cultural roots as well as conform to American practices. However, through Bharatanatyam dance class, I was able to explore my cultural niche in American society and truly feel as though I belong. Through learning this form of Indian cl...