By Kimberly Wallace, HER MagazineIt’s undeniable that globalisation has had a huge impact on the way people live around the world. But while advancements continue to be made, they should not come at the expense of culture, says cultural advocate and dance instructor at the Paramjyoti School of Dance Leena Yarna. Indian culture is part of the architecture of Yarna’s life, which explains why she is so protective of it.
It is easy to associate Indian culture solely with clothing, food and music, but it involves so much more. Due to its long history and different traditions and customs, Indian culture is very rich but it also teaches moral values such as honesty, discipline and ethics which are vital for anyone entering the workforce, says Yarna. Culture, along with religion can also improve the mental health of our society, she adds.
“Indian culture has always taught ahimsa (non-violence) and dharma (righteousness) which I believe are the most important words to remember and abide by in today’s world. Indian culture emphasises that everyone is equal and should be shown kindness because we are all sparks of divinity, gor humility is the essence of divinity,” she says.
For most of her life, Yarna has earned a reputation for upholding her culture – singing bhajans in the temple, actively participating in community programmes, assisting in coordinating events and devoting much of her time to perfecting the art of Indian classical dance.
It was the dream of Yarna’s mother that her daughter become a dancer.
With her parent’s encouragement and support, she began dance classes at the age of three, learning intricate foot and hand movements from the late dancer Sunil Mungroo. She became involved with theatre and Ramleela with the Satya Drishti Spiritual and Sporting Group, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism and now works at the Treasury Division at the Ministry of Finance. But regardless of what was going on around her, she remained a dancer to the core.
“My love for dance comes from my love for that divine God whom I worship. In Hinduism, Lord Shiva (Nataraja) is the God of Dance, he is the cosmic dancer… so when I dance, I do it as an offering to that divine Lord, I dance with love for him and immense gratitude for all that he has blessed me with,” Yarna explains.
While dancing has always brought her joy, it never occurred to Yarna to actually start a dance school, but while teaching her three nieces to dance at Divali celebrations at the temple one day, she was encouraged to start teaching. This year marks ten years that she has been a dance instructor with the Paramjyoti School of Dance. She currently has a class of 25 students. Attracting new students is not difficult, the challenge is getting them to stay in class and committed to the art form which looks beautiful on stage but takes hours of rigorous and repetitive practice. Her students also have numerous distractions that deter them from wanting to continue to dance.
Teaching her students to have a love and appreciation for their culture rather than being ashamed of it is important in order not to completely lose children to westernisation, says Yarna.
“It is my job to adapt to this ever changing world, inculcate new aspects into my dance style while maintaining the traditional aspects. It also requires me to have regular, in-depth conversations with the girls, explaining aspects of our culture which they may not understand fully or were never taught,” she says.
Much, if not all of the values Yarna imparts to her young students were instilled in her by her large close-knit family. Growing up in Debe, respect for elders, religion, neighbours and teachers was first and foremost. Understanding the value of hard work, sacrifice and being helpful, came second followed by other important qualities like patience and gratitude. Her home life and being heavily involved in activities like Ramleela, which she says brings communities together and makes youths proud of their culture, made her more determined to advocate for Indian culture and keep its traditions alive.
Women are the carriers of our culture and are the ones who can ensure that the beautiful Indian culture does not disappear in the future but is held in high reverence, says Yarna, who takes her role very seriously.
“To other women out there: be proud of who you are, stand up for righteousness and be your sister’s keeper,” says Yarna.
