77-Year-Old Bharatanatyam Lover Is Proof That Anyone Can Dance
Every one of us has a certain passion that we put behind us to fit into the concept of “normalcy” established by society. Think about it. The voice that speaks to customers and colleagues used to sing. The hands that hold the mouse today held the guitar years ago. The feet that walk from the seat to the cafeteria was a freestyle choreographer. The potbelly that struggles to get in and out of the car had a shredded six-pack in college.
Look around. The stories of these unsung heroes are not rare. There is a hidden dream behind everyone. I know I do. I dreamed of being a full-time musician and performing for a living. But then, we take off our capes and put on these ‘regular people’ clothes in the name of ‘practicality’ to make ends meet. The tragic part of this is that many people reach the fag end of their lives without realizing their passion ever.
We bring to you the story of a woman, who went against stereotype, prejudice, and bigotry. At the ripe age of 77, she went on to fulfill her lifetime passion and even succeeded at it. We introduce, Ambujam Pillai.
As a kid who grew up with immense love and passion for the beautiful art of Bharatanatyam, Ambujam started to attend classes in Alleppey, Kerala in her childhood. As she grew older, the passion got pushed aside and was replaced by the day-to-day rush of life. Education, marriage, and then, kids followed soon after, and her life went on with that.
Once the children grew up, she had the next thing to fill her schedule — grandchildren. Even at this point, she realized that her passion to dance was alive and raging high. With time, her husband passed away and at that point, Ambujam longed to start her life over again.
Few years ago, Ambujam stumbled upon the advertisement at a dance school, and that poured oil for her fire. Her hopes of relearning the dance form increased. When she called the school, Athma Laya Dance School, they were more than happy to teach her Bharatanatyam despite her age. In fact, they had several students in her age group, setting aside the age barrier. Over the last few years, she has taken the game a notch higher. Not only is she learning the dance form, but also performing at a number of venues across Chennai.
The dance school curated a number of dance movements for her, and that motivates Ambujam to practice for at least one hour every week. With frequent performances at the school’s annual event, Dance Hour Nite, she takes part with at least 100 women. The fact that she is among the oldest dancers on the team never stops or slows her down. Her prime focus is on spreading the message that age is no hurdle for those who want to learn an art form or to pursue any dream. While she avoids the movements that require her to jump, she never forgets to enjoy the process of dancing and performing. In addition to fueling her interest, it also keeps her health in good form. After starting to learn dance, Ambujam has won several dance competitions held by different women’s clubs across the city. And, she aims to continue dancing as long as her health permits her.
What makes her so different from others?
Well, once people cross their sixties they end up sitting idle at home and sinking themselves in pointless worries and thoughts. However, Ambujam realized that it was important to keep her issues at bay. Starting at 5:30 in the morning, Ambujam commences her day with yoga, followed by her walk. After returning home, she indulges in exercises. Unlike several men and women her age who go into isolation, Ambujam meets her friends and goes for movies and lunch with them. Taking it one level higher, she also takes tuition classes for students from first to fifth grade.
Ambujam Pillai is a living testament to the term “age is only a number”. With people in their old age, particularly women, considering that life is over at that age, Ambujam has proved in action that life can get better after old age. And, we definitely owe a salute to Athma Laya Dance school that has not only brought back the spark in Ambujam’s life but in many others.
Athma Laya is a classical dance academy that is focused on teaching Bharatanatyam to homemakers, working women, and senior citizens — all of who could not fulfill their desire to dance in their primes. With a “dance hour”, an hour-long program every week for women to learn dance, the academy alters the steps to make them simpler for the older students. Built exclusively for the women, the academy has no upper limit on age. Furthermore, there is no requirement for prior knowledge.
Now that deserves some applause. What may seem nearly impossible for the millennial, women in the seventies and eighties are making possible. So, what is your excuse?
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