Determined dancer

Within four years of her Bharat Natyam training Feruzan Bilimoria’s dance guru felt she was ready to perform her arange­tram. Having built up her confidence and stage presence during the biennial class shows with her fellow students from Shree Mangalam Indian Dance Academy, 11-year-old Bilimoria presented her maiden full length solo performance at Bombay’s Tejpal Auditorium on September 2, 2005. In the course of the evening her rendition of intricate, well rehearsed items like Pushpanjali, Ganesh, Natesh Kavtu­vam, Jatis­waram, Var­nam, Nata­nam Adinar, Ashtapadi and Thillana impressed the audience of dance lovers.

The dance recital was organized under the auspices of the Shree Mangalam Indian Dance Academy run by Hosi Mulla and Mahendra Boricha. The aran­getram is "a long cherished dream of every Bharat Natyam dancer,” mentions a flyer announcing the event. At the function it was recalled how the young danseuse had actually accompanied a friend to the Mangalam dance class five years ago and impressed by the dance training she requested permission to start learning on the same day. The fascination of the first day required much persistence and patience before she could be groomed into a full-fledged dancer.

A sixth standard student of G. D. Somani Memorial School, besides dancing Feruzan’s other interests lie in drawing and painting, reading, music, badminton, athletics and swimming.