Padma Venkatraman's A Time To Dance
Imagine having everything you ever dreamed of ripped away from you, stripped from your bare hands in a single moment. Everything you have worked hard for in your life vanishes and is no longer within your reach. This is precisely how Veda, the protagonist in A Time to Dance felt. Padma Venkatraman’s book is a realistic fiction novel that tells the inspiring and moving story about Veda. She has been put to the test when an accident rips away her passion. However, Veda perseveres through her misfortune, not letting it derail her dream. Veda proves that passion and persistence is a great tool to have in everyday life, which can help us overcome our weakest moments.
Throughout her life and the book, Veda has a passion for dance. Veda was just …show more content…
a little girl when she could already dance alluringly. “...I could shape thoughts with my fingers. My body wasn’t shy” (11). The author suggests that before she could talk, she already began to show her love and devotion for dance. Even if she was not a swift talker, she shows her desire before she knew what it truly is. She could dance rhythmically, with no prior teaching or shame of her body. After her tragedy, Veda works hard to assimilate dance again. She pours her heart and soul into it. “‘I’m going to study… Ma thinks I mean for my upcoming finals” (107). This shows us that Veda’s sole and only focus is in relearning to dance, not studying for school. Even after the accident, she refuses to let her mom reshape her into something she is not. Veda is determined to regain all her strength to dance, even if it means to continue defying her mother. Following Uday anna’s decision to remove her from his dance school, Veda finds guidance somewhere else. She finds it with Dhanam akka. However, there are some catches.“Twice the age and size of every other beginner in Govinda’s classroom, I feel as out of place as a boulder…”(144). After the loss of one of her legs, Veda is comparing herself to a boulder. After the accident, Veda persists in still learning dance, even if it meant going back to the basics and swallowing her humility for being in that class. Uday anna would not let her back into his dance class because she is an amputee. He believes that Bharatanatyam dance is based on skill and power, not spiritual devotion. To add, he believes that she did not meet the necessary requirements to dance. However, Dhanam akka agrees to take her into her dance class. Veda will do anything to relearn her passion and have her dream in sight once again. Dhanam akka focuses only on the spiritual component of dance and does not care what Veda could physically do, but emotionally. The catch was that she had to start in the beginner’s class with all the other younger students. Because Veda knows that this is the best and only option for her, she accepts Dhanam akka’s offer.
Towards the end of A Time to Dance, we can see that Veda’s passion for dance is what helps her overcome her accident.
Instead of moping around and dreading the rest of her life, she decides to work harder to achieve her goals. “My old dance teacher didn’t think I could dance again. But dance isn’t about who you are on the outside, it is about how you feel on the inside”(291). This shows that Veda is more aware of dance and what it really means. She understands very well that dance does not limit people with a disability. Veda used to think that she was not good enough for Uday anna. Now, she realizes that she is too good for him. Only her passion is limiting her from achieving her dreams of dancing. Another example of Veda’s strength is when Dhanam akka wants to give her private lessons. “... So you’re dancing feet led you into the temple of the dancing Shiva where they will always lead you, and those who watch, as long as you dance for your vision of the sacred. You carried my soul to a great height. Thank you”(295). This shows us that Dhanam akka, an extremely and experienced spiritual dancer, believes that Veda truly dances for the Shiva. . Instead of focusing on physical skill, Veda focuses on the religious aspect of dance, and she gets a reward for it. After she achieves a higher level of dance, “Govinda meets me at an outdoor café. We sit at a table under a pipul tree. The type of tree that ripped up my life. And so the tree the helped me lose and find dance again” (300). There is no malice in her voice. The author suggests that she might not have reached her level of dance right now if it was not for her accident. In a way, her misfortune has helped her become a more superior, despite missing one
leg.
There are no fire-breathing dragons or witches in this novel. The antagonist is Veda herself. Instead of showing us how pain causes us to give up, A Time to Dance shows us how it can strengthen us in ways we have never thought of before. Veda goes through more pain than some people receive in a lifetime. Because of this, she has more strength and knowledge than most people.
Throughout her life and the book, Veda has a passion for dance. Veda was just …show more content…
a little girl when she could already dance alluringly. “...I could shape thoughts with my fingers. My body wasn’t shy” (11). The author suggests that before she could talk, she already began to show her love and devotion for dance. Even if she was not a swift talker, she shows her desire before she knew what it truly is. She could dance rhythmically, with no prior teaching or shame of her body. After her tragedy, Veda works hard to assimilate dance again. She pours her heart and soul into it. “‘I’m going to study… Ma thinks I mean for my upcoming finals” (107). This shows us that Veda’s sole and only focus is in relearning to dance, not studying for school. Even after the accident, she refuses to let her mom reshape her into something she is not. Veda is determined to regain all her strength to dance, even if it means to continue defying her mother. Following Uday anna’s decision to remove her from his dance school, Veda finds guidance somewhere else. She finds it with Dhanam akka. However, there are some catches.“Twice the age and size of every other beginner in Govinda’s classroom, I feel as out of place as a boulder…”(144). After the loss of one of her legs, Veda is comparing herself to a boulder. After the accident, Veda persists in still learning dance, even if it meant going back to the basics and swallowing her humility for being in that class. Uday anna would not let her back into his dance class because she is an amputee. He believes that Bharatanatyam dance is based on skill and power, not spiritual devotion. To add, he believes that she did not meet the necessary requirements to dance. However, Dhanam akka agrees to take her into her dance class. Veda will do anything to relearn her passion and have her dream in sight once again. Dhanam akka focuses only on the spiritual component of dance and does not care what Veda could physically do, but emotionally. The catch was that she had to start in the beginner’s class with all the other younger students. Because Veda knows that this is the best and only option for her, she accepts Dhanam akka’s offer.
Towards the end of A Time to Dance, we can see that Veda’s passion for dance is what helps her overcome her accident.
Instead of moping around and dreading the rest of her life, she decides to work harder to achieve her goals. “My old dance teacher didn’t think I could dance again. But dance isn’t about who you are on the outside, it is about how you feel on the inside”(291). This shows that Veda is more aware of dance and what it really means. She understands very well that dance does not limit people with a disability. Veda used to think that she was not good enough for Uday anna. Now, she realizes that she is too good for him. Only her passion is limiting her from achieving her dreams of dancing. Another example of Veda’s strength is when Dhanam akka wants to give her private lessons. “... So you’re dancing feet led you into the temple of the dancing Shiva where they will always lead you, and those who watch, as long as you dance for your vision of the sacred. You carried my soul to a great height. Thank you”(295). This shows us that Dhanam akka, an extremely and experienced spiritual dancer, believes that Veda truly dances for the Shiva. . Instead of focusing on physical skill, Veda focuses on the religious aspect of dance, and she gets a reward for it. After she achieves a higher level of dance, “Govinda meets me at an outdoor café. We sit at a table under a pipul tree. The type of tree that ripped up my life. And so the tree the helped me lose and find dance again” (300). There is no malice in her voice. The author suggests that she might not have reached her level of dance right now if it was not for her accident. In a way, her misfortune has helped her become a more superior, despite missing one
leg.
There are no fire-breathing dragons or witches in this novel. The antagonist is Veda herself. Instead of showing us how pain causes us to give up, A Time to Dance shows us how it can strengthen us in ways we have never thought of before. Veda goes through more pain than some people receive in a lifetime. Because of this, she has more strength and knowledge than most people.