Fellow Fulbright Teacher Erin McGraw was able to take Indian dance lessons for the duration of her exchange. Since I have seen a handul of Indian dance performances I can say with some authority, albeit extremely limited, that her performance was outstanding. It seemed authentic and everyone in attendance was delighted to have the rare opportunity to see a foreigner demonstrate some mastery of something uniquely Indian.Although I love the traditional dance costume, I couldn't get over the thick, black hair extension which had been woven into Erin's golden-blonde braid. In some ways the braid represented the contrasts of our home cultures - Erin could weave herself into Indian culture but she would always stand out as a foreigner. I am of course commending Erin - in fact we have become quite close friends. She is the epitome of the "intrepid traveller" - and I admire her on many levels. In this case she demonstrated the confidence to perform and integrate into her host culture as best as she could - one of the hallmarks of the cultural exchange mission.
1 comment:
Wow Sir!
Remarkable. Erin ma'am's moves, the postures are just amazing!
Kudos to her!
Nayanika
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