In October, Sruthi Santhosh a middle five pupil, performed a Salangai pooja in Blake Studios. Surrounded by friends, family, and a special appearance from the Sheriff of Norwich, Sruthi danced a total of 2 hours, showcasing everything she has learnt over the last 7 years of training. We caught up with her to talk us through the performance...

‘I have been learning Bharathanatyam, which is an Indian dance form originating from South India, for 7 years. I recently did a performance in the Blake Studio called a Salangai pooja - it is based on the tradition of honouring your anklets before you dance in them for the first time. The performance showcased everything I’ve learnt so far with a total of 8 dances tributing different gods in the Hindu religion.’

Every dancer usually does a Salangai Pooja towards the end of their learning curriculum. After deciding on roughly when I was going to do the performance, I had been practicing and rehearsing for about 6 months. It took a lot of stamina building, mental strength and confidence to produce the performance but it was worth it in the end.

The day of the performance was a stressful but enjoyable one. I had the support of close friends and family who came to watch and that really pushed me to do my best. I danced for a total of 2 hours, and 8 dances which represented the understanding of rhythm, beats and emotions as well as technique, stamina and strength. The pieces varied in terms of meaning and length with the longest being 22 minutes. It was tough but was a relief in the end and felt good to be able to perform it.

It was a beautiful afternoon; the Blake was decorated with flowers, statues and garlands. People were dressed in vibrant clothing and the atmosphere was very joyful. Mr. Griffiths and the Sheriff of Norwich were the chief guests, and I am grateful to the school for their hospitality.

‘This performance meant a lot to me as it was the first time, I’ve done a solo performance for that duration of time. It’s helped me build confidence in myself and made me feel proud of my roots that I perhaps don’t exhibit often. I hope to perform more often and share this art with the wider community in school and beyond.’

We are delighted with how the event turned out, with Mr. Griffiths himself exclaiming that ‘It was a spectacular afternoon: Sruthi’s dancing was extraordinary, and the Blake was full of friends, family and other members of the community.’ We can’t wait to see where this performance takes Sruthi and what’s next!