by Chance Prigge
Thisweek Newspapers

At the young age of 6, Parvathi Jithendranathan started taking classic Indian dancing classes at the Ragamala Music and Dance Theater in St. Paul.

Her classes were held on Saturdays. And, because her family lives in Eagan, her mom had to give her a ride to the class every Saturday.

Today, after nine years of classes, those Saturdays have paid off. Parvathi performed her solo dance recital, known as Bharathanatyam, in July. It was a graduation of sorts, proving what she's learned and earning her the ability to perform in company productions in the future.

"I've always been interested in it,î she said of the dancing. "It's a way to be closer to my Indian culture.î

She was practicing in preparation of the solo recital for about a year. In addition to the weekly Saturday class, she also had joined an advanced class that met on Tuesdays, meaning she had to practice more to keep up with the group and spend less time with an already busy schedule.

In addition to the dancing classes and her regular school work, Jithendranathan, who's now 15 and is entering the 10th grade, had been learning the piano, participating on the student council at Eastview High School and was on the speech team. She had to give up the speech team to make time for dancing.

"I could make some of them but I couldn't make all of them,î she said of her extracurricular activities.

"Parvathi was not happy giving up the speech team,î her mom, Shyamala, said.

But the time spent was worth it. She'll now have the opportunity to dance in shows that aren't just class-related, as she's wanted to do for quite a while, she said.

"I've seen their performances before,î she said of the dance school. "They involve so many other aspects of dance.î

Parvathi admitted she was nervous before performing such an important dance, but she said she had a lot of support both from her family and the people at the school.

"We had relatives that came from all over the U.S.,î Shyamala said. "And there were a couple from India.î

Shyamala said she had some worries over the years about her daughter's commitment to the dance possibly slipping or how it would affect her academics, but those concerns dissolved and gave way to pride.

"I think it's a healthy thing,î Shyamala said.

After she finishes high school, Parvathi may or may not continue dancing. If she moves too far away from the area, she'll likely have to give it up for the time being, but if she goes to college around the Twin Cities, she said she'd like to continue it.

Chance Prigge is at farmington. thisweek@ecm-inc.com

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