Nikita and Hema, former students of The Junoon Gurukul, joined the girls at The Junoon Academy in Dhasa. They participated through observation of and reflection upon every activity and practice session held here, allowing them to experience a comprehensive range of activities from various batches training intensively, spanning Beginner to Advanced levels. Hema writes the story the first week here.
The first week on the field was intense, tight, and pleasant at the same time. Hectic with the weather and the intense practice for 3 batches across elements of Classical Dance forms, and pleasant as the girls were, they were able to smile through the pain and were willing to do more. Two groups of girls in their Junoon t-shirts welcomed us, waving their hands as we drove by them. The girls were eagerly waiting for us, and we were excited to work with them.
The first two days were mostly breaking the ice between Nikita, me, and the girls. A major language barrier held them back from approaching and talking to us, but over the days, we had fun walking together. The practice for the first 2 days focused mainly on training the trainers from the advanced batch. Mythili trained the Advanced batch with Sleek Technique methodology, Ballet Barre work, Bharatanatyam Barre work, Bharatanatyam footwork, fitness, cardio, weight training, and plenty of extensions and stretching. All routines were followed all days of the week later on a regular basis.
The girls from the advanced batch were getting ready to assume their roles as trainers since auditions for the next batch were coming closer. Day 3 saw the auditions. New admissions in the high school, a new bunch of candidates, and potential Dancers joined the auditions. The girls stepped on the stage to conduct exercises for the new batch and corrected their postures, pushing them to try harder. After two rounds of auditions, 15 girls were officially part of the Junoon team and started their beginner practice from Day 4.
On day 4, Nikita and I conducted a 45-minute-long theory session with the advanced group and the Junoon batch A. Despite language barriers and hesitance, the session ran smoothly, and we were amazed that we were able to communicate with the girls. We played games to smooth the edges and dived right into the topic of the presentation. All three batches continued with their regular practice sessions later in the day.
Day 5 on the field was the most amazing of all. We were able to see how the advanced team manages their regular practice and plans and guides the practice sessions of Batch A and the beginner’s batch all on the same day. The advanced team showed amazing leadership skills as they were willing and able to teach the younger ones what they had learned over the years of practice. The trainers looked for perfection in every step as they stepped up to correct the younger ones while they were practicing.
Amidst all the practice, plenty of other things kept us engaged and connected. Music jamming sessions with the girls, productive talks with the women along with their stretching practices, and insightful conversations with Mythili and many more of the friendly and welcoming people of the village. The week was very fun, extremely hot, and an amazing learning experience.
Written By:
Hema Devika,
Business Development and Social Impact Strategist,
The Junoon Foundation,India.
This is junoon
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