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FEATURE
sports, fast walking, and similar activities — In the end, though, it is the addition to Above: The students and
dancing fast burns up to 175 calories a the cultural firmament of San Antonio that teachers of The Arathi School
minute,” adding that, “the postures one seems most momentous. “So now, as we cel- of Indian Dance in 2014.
takes in dance make you use a different set ebrate the 35th anniversary of our school,
of muscles and different joint positions than there are a total of four schools devoted to Below: Dr. Malathi Koli,
in other activities like running. In that re- Indian dance in San Antonio — all inspired Dr. Rajam Ramamurthy and
spect dance is closer to swimming.” from our initiative back in 1981. In the four Mrs. Madhu Mehta are
schools in San Antonio, close to 300 stu- founders of the school.
Just as important — or perhaps even dents are enrolled in studying Indian classi-
more in a stressful world — is the mental cal dance at any given time.” The art and artists have been the first in
engagement. many ways to connect with the mainstream
The Arathi School of Indian Dance pro- and have enriched the arts in San Antonio
“It is a pleasurable experience and for me, vides a forum for the people in the Indian in proportions far beyond the population
very like meditation,” Ramamurthy says. diaspora to connect with Indian culture. that accounts for less than 0.2 percent in
“One’s mind is completely emptied of all San Antonio.
thoughts except the pure movement being
experienced. I know several students who “A definite achievement for us founders
were in college and medical school who is the transitioning of the school to two out-
made the time to dance when they were standing young women, one our own stu-
stressed. It is a great healer for the mind as dent and the second an accomplished
well.” teacher trained in Chicago that Rajam con-
siders her hometown in the U.S. It is time
As a professional focused on children’s to pass the baton,” says the school’s founder.
well-being, “Teaching dance to children at
age four or five has given me great insight
as to children’s physical development. Also,
being a pediatrician with knowledge about
development has helped me to teach move-
ment in a more scientific way.”
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