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Despite the Hate, Do what you Love
While most girls in my school did ballet, hip hop, contemporary, and jazz
I did Bharatanatyam
Or in other words ¨The indiany hard to pronounce dance¨
That phrase stuck onto me, ringing in my ears like a swarm of bees
I almost quit
I didn't want to be known as the girl who
¨Covers her whole body when dancing¨
¨Makes weird hand gestures and moves awkwardly¨
¨Paints her hand with a substance that looks like cow dung¨
¨Wears a bright red sticker on her forehead like she's a kindergartener¨
They just didn't get my culture
And I didn't care
I appreciate my roots and heritage
Despite the hate
I will do what I love
And I love Bharatnatyam
For it instills a vibration throughout my body
As I feel the rhythm through my veins as I dance
The beat playing a soft melody in my ears
Pushing away those ignorant comments
Painting my hands with mehndi, creating an elaborate yet delicate design
Applying my bindi carefully on my forehead
Looking like a Bharatanatyam dancer
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Hi, my name is Amruta I. and I am currently a rising freshman and am 14 years old. My roots and heritage trace back to the small villages in South India, where my parents were born. As a Indian American teenager life has a lot of obstacles to offer to try and get me to give up on my culture, but whenever I feel that way poetry is who I go to. I release all my emotions into a poem and it is my way of coping with stress and all the feelings in me. I love that poetry is so diverse just like the world around us, and it allows us to express ourselves and create an impact. Besides writing poetry I also learn and perform Indian classical dance, also known as Bharatanatyam. I started learning Bharatanatyam at the tender age of four and it has grown to become a part of me. I am very passionate towards Indian classical dance as it's further connected me to my heritage.