By: Godhooli Sharma
LUCKNOW: It was an emotional moment for Shreya Bajpai (28) as she was finally receiving the end result of her childhood passion after almost ten years- not one but two gold medals in MPA Bharatnatyam on Wednesday. Shreya and her one-year-old son caught the attention of everyone in the audience as the mother-son duo posed for the camera's at the 12th annual convocation of Bhatkhande University.
Shreya was one among several medal winners at the convocation whose passion for performing arts made them surpass numerous difficulties and secure top honours.
Bajpai learnt initial steps of Bharatnatyam when she was in her teens and later did diploma in in the Indian classical dance form in 2012. However, she had to leave her passion behind and got herself enrolled in BTech. After graduating, she worked in a software company for several years. She later came back to Lucknow after her marriage.
"I then decided to pursue my passion again and took admission in Master of Performing Arts (MPA Bharatnatyam). However, soon I found that I was expecting my son, hence I had to take several breaks to complete the course. My in-laws supported me all the while. It was a long run for me however it was worth it," said Shreya.
Shivam Awasthi, who hails from a family of farmers in Sitapur, grabbed two gold medals in Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA) Bharatnatyam. Awasthi gave dance tuitions to pay his fees and rental expenses. "I worked 6-hours daily after classes to earn extra money. On some days, I had to skip meals too to save money," said Awasthi.
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