The Ones Who Shaped My World! - Shrimayee Debasmita

"I grew up in a hidebound family. As a result, I couldn't explore much. I couldn't dance freely, while kids my age, danced as if it was their brother's wedding. The only time I danced was in private, in front of my grandmother, while she listened to the radio.

One day, while I was dancing in my bedroom, my parents saw me and decided to put me into a dance institute at the age of 3. I was introduced to the world of Odissi by Dr. Guru Gajendra Panda. My latter teacher, Dr. Guru Shri Pitambar Biswal, not only taught me the steps, but also the expressions and the art of feeling the emotions, which is vital in every dance form. His lessons improved my dance and my life, in general. 

Giving the perfect expressions was always a problem for me; they looked artificial. My Guruji noticed this issue time and again and tried working on me, but nothing seemed to work. One day, he called me and said, "Dance without expressions is like trees without leaves and birds without feathers". His simple words hit the bull's eye. My expressions have definitely improved, if not perfect. 

Besides my Guruji, my Mom and Dad also have a huge contribution in my dance journey and the accolades that I have been receiving for the same. My dance school is far off from my house, but my Mom accompanies me daily after getting done with the chores. When we return, she takes up the role of being my teacher at home. She nudges me to practice. My relatives used to discourage us by saying that my studies would be affected and dancing will get me nowhere, but she never let these things get into my mind.

I always get up at 5 am to practice Odissi, but during exams, I don't. When my Dad noticed this, he gave me a good scolding. He said, "Don't you eat when you have exams?, Don't you use your phone?, Don't you watch the TV? Then, why not dance?". Since then, I have not missed practicing Odissi in the morning. 

My teacher, my Mom and my Dad have shaped me and my world. Their efforts are so much more than what I put in. For the life I live, I am indebted to them." - Shrimayee Debasmita.