September 2016 - Blog Post 1

Recently, I performed in the National Folk Festival! It was truly the most amazing experience. I did not have the opportunity to visit the folk festival last year, but I had heard about how colorful and lively the event was, so I was extremely enthusiastic when I found I would be able to go (and even perform!!) to it! I performed a classical Bharatnatyam dance at the Greensboro Historical Museum; this dance was one of the hardest dances because of the time (10 minute dance!!) and amount of footwork and hand gestures implemented. It was an honor to perform in a room full of people, who were intrigued and appreciative of the art form I practiced for the last eight years. The dance I performed was a dance I learned years ago, so it was a frustrating process to remember it on top of the bazillion other things I needed to do aside from dance. However, after practicing it a few times, my muscle memory took over and I was effortlessly able to perform it multiple times. I was ecstatic the week before the performance and I was unable to think about anything else (even the ACT on the same day... yikes!). It was a surreal experience and the venture I went on to explore the festival after my performance was incredible. I saw so many other beautiful performances, a street market, and the most number of food trucks I have ever seen. Along the way, I had three people photograph me because of my costume; I wonder if that was what a celebrity felt like!! Truly, one of the most exciting experiences in my life and I am so thankful to have had that amazing opportunity.