By Meera Balasubramanian Having been associated with Apsaras has given me a number of opportunities to travel around the world and perform in different and prestigious venues. One such tour was the mega India tour where the team Apsaras Arts travelled around India for one whole month and performing in various cities. This was a very special and memorable trip for all of us as we were under one roof for the whole month, where We made a lot of wonderful memories through the entire tour and a month filled with fun, laughter, food and of-course dance.

At the end of monsoon season, September is one of the most colourful months in India, with a lot of festivals lined up from Dussera to Diwali. The atmosphere during this period is electric filled with joy. Amidst the high energy atmosphere, we were to perform four thematic dance productions from Apsaras, namely Anjhaasa, Alapadma, Adam Arul Jothi and Ramayana. “Welcome to Bengaluru, ladies and gentlemen” The pilot announced over the PA , I was a bit excited and nervous thinking about my kids back home and while looking forward for the long trip ahead. I set outside the aircraft, the cold September breeze of Bangalore hit me. It was a pleasant weather. The journey from the airport to the guest house bought back a lot of memories from the time I spent in this city of (no-more) gardens. Thanks to our sponsor Mrs Rhama Sankaran for hosting us and making our stay comfortable. Me and my friends were tired from the journey and jet lagged, but we had to get ready immediately for our first performance of our tour. Back from the days I spent in Bangalore, It was always my dream to perform in the prestigious Chowdaiah hall. It turned out to be a wonderful and energetic performance. It was a successful show and encouraging reviews in the local news papers. You get a high and elated feeling after the successful show, clubbed with the excitement of spending time with the gang of girls under a single roof is recipe for fun, happiness and endless banter. It was going to be stressful with all the travel and performances lined up, its essential to manage stress and stay healthy. Our Artistic Director, Mr Arvinth Kumaraswamy had organised yoga sessions to keep balance between mind and body. The early morning yoga sessions helped a lot , to relieve tiredness, infact some of us would be snoring while reaching the end of the session with savasana. Most of the day would be spent on rehearsals and workshops. The rest of the time would be spent on shopping and eating local cuisines at popular food joints across the city. Our second performance was for Shambavi dance theatre run by Ms Vijayanthi Kashi, famous Kuchipudi exponent. This time we performed Adum Arul jothi a thematic margam for a warm bunch of audience who thoroughly enjoyed it. I still remember how an old aunty who was in her late 70s probably, came on to the stage to shower her praises and blessings on us.