I joined Kalakshetra in 1982 after completing my 10th standard at New Era's International School, Panchgani, Maharashtra. I joined the Plus-Two at Besant Arundale Senior Secondary School. The transition coming from Panchgani, a small hill station in Maharashtra, to Chennai, a bustling metropolis took me a while to get used to. The attitudes at both schools were quite different but, nevertheless, each played an important part on what I turned out to be on the professional and on the personal fronts.

I met Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale on the very first day itself. My parents and I met her at her office. Sankara Menon Sir was there as well. My impression of her was that she was a very cordial and proper person. I took leave from her presence and addressed her by her full name. She laughed and told me that I could call her 'Athai'. Thus began my initiation into life at Kalakshetra.

Our next stop was the school hostel and we met Yashoda teacher, the hostel warden. She was such a warm person. She gave my mother a list of things to get since I was to be a residential student. The list was a comprehensive one that included everything one would need like the Jamkalam, plate, tumbler, mattress and so on. Teacher was a thorough person. (Years later, when I visited Kalakshetra soon after my marriage I took my husband, Ram, to meet Yashoda teacher. She was the same old warm self. In fact she gave him a hug and told him that he was now the son in law of Kalakshetra. Ram was very touched by that).

First day at the hostel...
I remember moving into the hostel on a Friday. It was evening and the bell rang out signaling start of the Friday evening bhajan session. And there I saw Padmasini teacher (or Paddu teacher) for the first time. Paddu teacher led us during the bhajan sessions. Paddu teacher was an institution by herself. She was also the resident doctor and ran the dispensary. What struck me about Paddu teacher that evening was her spirit and devotion during the bhajan singing. She always led the Bhajans from the inception of the Kalakshetra hostel. She continued until her last days. And, the spirit and devotion never ebbed. Dinner that night was Puri Masala. I gobbled it down. I was already beginning to like the place.

I was rudely awakened the next morning at 5 am. The reason? It was exercise time! During my senior years at Kalakshetra, I managed to come up with some rather ingenious ways of bunking these sessions! My first day at school passed off rather uneventfully but what happened after that made up for it. On my return to the hostel, I was told to wash the bathrooms and toilets. I was shocked and furious. I retorted that I did not come to Kalakshetra to wash bathrooms and toilets. Well, I lost the argument. In fact, I learnt later that all hostellers had to do that. It was a simple lesson in discipline that taught us the dignity of labor in a very effective way.

Initially, the plan was to complete my 12th Std at Besant Arundale School, where I also took up the option of doing dance part time, and go on to pursue my tertiary education elsewhere. I opted, instead, to pursue dance full time. It was my own decision and one that I have never regretted making. In fact, to be honest, it was one of the few good decisions that I have ever made! My parents were pleasantly surprised by my decision. They were dancers too and they supported my decision. I did my diploma and post-graduate diploma at Kalakshetra. In all, I spent seven of the most wonderful years of my life there.

Interview for BBC...
What are my impressions of my time there? They are too numerous to recount here. I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have been at Kalakshetra during Athai's last years. I remember my being interviewed by a film crew from BBC doing a documentary on Kalakshetra. I was in my 12th standard at the time. They included that interview in the final version. What came across very obviously in the video clip was that I was a very chatty person. In fact Athai named me, good naturedly, "Vaayadi" (meaning chatterbox in Tamil) after that.

I will never forget, however, the time when she talked to me to live up to my name, Apsara - meaning celestial dancers in Sanskrit, in dance. Shankara Menon Sir took the explanation further when he explained that Apsara meant born out of water. I still remember his morning talks after the assembly that was always very inspirational. Sankara Menon-Sir's lectures in my senior years prior to our performing the Geetha Govindam dance drama were so full of wisdom. Then, there was Thomas Sir's incessant drilling of the rudimentary steps in Bharathanatyam during my first year at Kalakshetra's dance course, which I always complained about at that time but which held me in good stead later on.

Pushpa-teacher was a very caring person and always brought us some nice eats to tuck in every Wednesday morning before classes as she knew we did not exactly enjoy 'Ponggal', the breakfast every Wednesday. I was very inspired by both Periya Sarada teacher and Chinna Sharada teacher during my post-graduate studies. Chinna Sharada teacher's method of teaching was spiced with the right blend of humor and seriousness that was effective.

Memorable temple tours...
Although I was not a music major, I cannot forget the music lessons I learnt from Lalitha teacher and Rajaram sir, who was then the Principal and now the Director of the Kalakshetra Foundation. We were taken on temple tours all over South India. Paddu-teacher used to head our tour group and take the trouble to explain to us, in depth, about the history and significance of each and every temple that we visited like Chidambaram, Palani, Thiruvanamalai, Dharmasthaala and so on.

How can I forget Raghava Iyer, the cook at the student mess? I still remember how he surprised my father when he asked him if he was Madhava Menon's son. It so happened that they were schoolmates! Because of that I was often given extra helping of food items or special dishes. They were all totally and utterly selfless and dedicated to the Kalakshetra cause.

My years at Kalakshetra were not only about learning dance and music. I learnt so much just by being there and in the company of Athai, Sankara Menon Sir and others like Paddu-teacher who are, alas, no more with us. Many great artists used to visit Kalakshetra to meet Athai and give concerts there. In the final analysis, Kalakshetra made me realize who I was, what my heritage was and what my culture was. It made me a proud Indian. I now run my own dance school in Malaysia called Kshetra Academy.

Most of my students are 3rd or 4th generation Indians. Apart from teaching them dance itself, I try to pass on some of the other things I learnt during my time at Kalakshetra like the values, the history and other points of refinement that is embedded in our heritage. I still maintain contact with my alma mater and my teachers like Rajaram Sir, Chinna Sarada teacher, Sundari teacher and others. I end with my humble Pranams and salutation to Athai and all the teachers that I was privileged to have come in contact with or learnt under at Kalakshetra. I can only hope that I am worthy of their efforts.

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You can also write to Apsara Ramgopal at kshetra@tm.net.my