Bharatanatyam Strikes A Chord

I am not an artist. Not even by a long shot. Despite this limitation, I do appreciate art in any form be it dance, painting or even movies. Thanks to Amar Chitra Katha due to which I have a fair understanding of Indian mythology, Indian classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathak or Kuchipudi do appeal to my limited aesthetic senses. Every once in a while, I watch such program(me)s on TV rather than take the effort to go to a theater or auditorium to experience them in live. So this previous Sunday when I got this invite to a Bharatanatyam dance recital, though I was excited, I was not sure if I would go or not. Finally I decided to go because I felt it was high time that I should start working on my art appreciation skills in flesh rather than watch and appreciate on cable. In hindsight, it was a good decision. It was a very professional and spirited ballet performed by a team of very committed and dedicated dancers. I was especially moved by the 'Draupadi Vastraharanam' sequence where Draupadi prays for divine intervention as the people around her become depressingly inhuman. Overall, I must say that the performance and the performers left a lasting impression on me. After this event, I have begun to appreciate art, and artists, even better. So I guess there is still hope for me.