Bong Mania Overloaded

Moumita

Sanchita

Happy World's Dance Day readers! While getting ready to shoot for a fun dance project we thought it would be nice to share our looks for the day and our journey with dance with you.

"We dance for laughter,
We dance for tears,

We dance for madness,

We dance for fears,

We dance for hopes,

We dance for cries,

We are the dancers,

We create dreams."

Albert Einstein

Yes! Einstein had perfectly described what dance means to us. Its our way of expressing ourselves better. Its a conversation between our body and soul. We believe, you don't have to be trained conventionally to be a dancer, but you have to be one at heart.
Ma recalls, Moumita and me started dancing to her songs in our cribs. Ma was our first teacher. Summer afternoons on the terrace dancing with her on "মন মোর মেঘের সঙ্গী "(a popular Rabindrasangeet).....bliss that used to be. Ma never pursued dance as she never got any opportunity but always loved it from the core of her heart... but instilled the love for it in us.
Even though we loved dancing and started our training at very tender age, our initial years were filled with inferiority and fear of failure.We used to be so embarrassed when Baba Ma boasted on our dancing skills in public and asked us "তোমরা একটু নেচে দেখাও তো " ("can you show them few of your dance steps!"). We were so conscious of tripping, forgetting steps and going out of rhythm. But we kept going and they kept proudly boasting about us 😊.

Gradually, we could rise above our timidness and fall in love with freedom dance used to give us. The rhythm it imparted to our souls and feet. It gave us confidence, a mean to channel our emotions. Dance became the sole companion lonely and depressed nights. Neither of us grew up to be the most successful extraordinary dancers, but dance has liberated us, it helped us to go beyond where we thought we could go. Who cares about the rest huh !!!

Us through the years

Our dance gurus and friends...leave a comment if you can spot us

We have kept dancing all these years, be it only for ourselves in our living rooms or for others on stage. Our Gurus, friends and family have always encouraged us to continue our passion and their support continues to make the journey blissful.

So many of us are self conscious, we prefer to live in our cocoons and never know our true selves. Its important for us to take that first step towards what we like doing, to win over that fear of judgement, to shed off the shyness, to express our emotions. It might not be a smooth journey initially but persistence and practice makes it a fulfilling one. Not everyone of us will have to be a topper in whatever we do, life is too short for that kind of race. But as long as you appreciate your own effort, you feel content and have fun...that's what matters. Come, lets not look at your feet, lets not know who's judging, lets just dance...dancers don't need wings to fly.

Outfit Details: As per the requirement of the shoot, we draped plain simple Kanjeevaram sarees.Both the Sarees are from Adi Dhakeshwari Bastralaya. We paired them with contrast blouses, Sanchita's brocade Blouse is from Heritage, City Center, Moumita's Kantha Blouse is from Karukriti, Shantiniketan. We accessorized the look with simple gold jewelry from N.P. Jewellers, Kolkata. Kept our makeups to be minimum for the summer afternoons and some flowers to bring in the freshness.

Try this look: Its a very comfortable casual saree look. You can easily sport it for an day time function, lunch invites, in-home gatherings, Rabindra Jayanti morning. or when you wish to dance on your own 😊

"কোন শাড়ী টা পড়ি " (which saree should i wear!!) that's the eternal question which consumes maximum time while getting ready for any festivity or party. I am no exception of that irritable dilemma and my first post addresses this bong symptom of ours.

So here goes my two cents on how to choose your sarees: Irrespective of our skin color or"phigure" we should try out all varieties of sarees. Comfort, choice, and the occasion we are attending should only matter.The rest, can rest in peace.Throughout my childhood and teenage I have gone through body image issues. Being overweight and short has always dampened my confidence. Be it cotton sarees, heavy silks or wide borders,I avoided several outfits thinking "আমাকে মোটা লাগবে "("I'll look fat in it").But with time I have learned to be proud of myself and not be ashamed of how others looks at me. This new confidence has ushered new life into my wardrobe as well. Now I follow only my mood, comfort and the occasion to choose my sarees.

I love and treasure ALL my sarees regardless of their price tags, brands, colors, patterns. I believe that বিয়ে তে পাওয়া (randomly gifted) type sarees also can be carried with panache. Only, you have to accessorize them nicely and carry them with confidence. So here comes the tips of the day:

Choosing saree and accessories shouldn't be the last thing on the day of an important event. Pick and iron them ahead to avoid last minute rush. Because most of the last minute "সামনে যা পেলাম তাই " picks can be.... 😕😕😕...well lets not go there!!

The event we are attending should be kept in mind while choosing a saree. Pick a light or heavy saree depending on the the occasion, time of the day and of course your comfort.

Its not necessary to pair sarees with expensive accessories or blouse but with interesting ones. Trust me they makes the saree styling a fun ride. Mismatch and contrast blouses are trend these days and they can brighten up the whole look. Try them out!

Draping the saree is an art. Keep it as much neat as you can. The saree shouldn't look like a tent you're carrying. Remember practice makes perfect. You can experiment with different drapes at different occasions as well.

Usually we don't experiment much with our hairstyles and makeup, but they are vital components of the whole look. Little variations in your hairstyle and your makeup can make an outfit look different each time you wear it. So the trick is if you are wearing a heavy saree, keep the makeup simple to put all the limelight on the saree and vice versa. Or if you have a deep cut or embroidery at the back of your blouse, tie up your hair to flaunt it.

So the ladies who are now wondering how to preen up for an evening party or a wedding to attend here's my first look for the blog.

Gara embroidered silk saree

Wearing a hand Parsee-Gara embroidered silk saree. wore it for an evening function on first day of the Bengali year. This soft silk saree is perfect for any evening outing.

Instead of pairing it with the matching blouse the saree came with, paired it with an olive crop top. It brightened the hues of the embroidery. The matching blouse would have made this outfit very predictable না !