CHICAGO: It is said that dancing is like dreaming with your feet. Rucha Deshpande was introduced to this dream when she was five years old. Although she had learned ballet and tap earlier, learning Bharatanatyam was not easy at first.
Rucha gives credit to her teacher, Smt Rupal Parikh for making Bharatanatyam an integral part of her life.
The 18 year old recently performed Bharatanatyam at her ‘Arangetram’ or graduation at Lincoln-Way North High School. Arangetram comprises eight dances, some of which take up to twenty minutes to perform.
Therefore, the dancer needs to build endurance to do all eight items continuously with grace. Rucha’s stunning performance was full of expression and energy – two key elements that a Bharatanatyam dancer needs to complete her graduation successfully. The fluidity with which she moved, the expressions on her face, and the intensity in the way she danced, showed us all how Rucha has become a master in the art.
Among the audience was Representative Renee Kosel, who presented Rucha a certificate from State of Illinois in recognition of the effort, dedication, and hard work that has led to success and she further expressed her personal happiness and best wishes for this professional achievement.
Rucha will be studying human nutrition at UIC this upcoming fall. She also wants to pursue dance in the future.
Harish Rao
