By Padma Venkatramen
This is a beautiful story, told in verse. A young Indian girl, Veda, has just won a prestigious dance competition; and is in a horrible accident. The tragedy results in Veda losing part of her leg. This devastates the young dancer, and she swirls into a pit of despair. Through the aid of an American Doctor, Veda attains a prosthetic limb and is convinced that she may be able to return to dance.
After some work and practice, she returns to her old dance instructor. Only to be turned away without a thought. This does not sway Veda, she continues to work and with the help of Jim, the American Doctor, and her Grandmother, Veda finds an enlightened instructor that is willing to help her rekindle and find her love of dance.
At the new dance school, she meets Govinda, the beginning dance instructor. He is very handsome and passionate about dance, which Veda finds very attractive. Their bond begins to flower and deepen, but Govinda's parents want him to be an engineer, not a dancer. He eventually has Veda teach one of his classes so that he may study for his college entry exams. Veda is an accomplished dancer, the technique, and mechanics of dance, but she does not become the dance. After the death of a loved one, she finally begins to understand the nuance of drawing the audience into her dance, and her passion for her craft is rekindled.
This is a beautiful story of a young girl not only coming to grips with a tragedy but blossoming and inspiring those around her, through her dance. This book is a great read for those that love to dance from 5th to 6th grade and beyond.
Links
Childhood Prosthetics
Bharatanatyam Dance
Indian Caste System
Padma Venkatraman
Prosthesis and Athletics
