റേച്ചല് നെയ്ച്ചേരില് കെ.സി.സി.എന്.എ കലാതിലകം
The countdown is finally over! The long
awaited 9th KCCNA Convention held at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Dallas
has come and gone, leaving everyone with one question in mind – ‘What’s
next?’ This is especially true this year, with a record number of
attendees and the vast majority of them actively participating in all
festivities! As you can see, the Knanaya Community in North America is
growing larger year after year, but we may fail to recognize that this
growth also initiates increasing participation of talented youth across
the board, making the playing field much more selective. Of all these
competitors it was a fifteen-year-old girl from Houston, Texas, Rachel
Neycheril, who took home the prized Kala Thilakam Award that many had
eyes on. Rachel is the daughter of Thomas and Deepa Neycheril and
currently attends the Medical Academy at Hightower High School. Rachel
is involved in various school activities including the Speech and Debate
Team, HOSA – Health Occupation Students of America, and Red Cross.
She
earned this title by receiving the most number of points in her solo
items, which consisted of 1st place in Classical Dance, 2nd place in
Folk Dance and 2nd place in Elocution. Besides participating in these
solo items, Rachel also competed in group competitions like western,
classical, folk, and cinematic dance, in which she received two 1st
places and one 2nd place.
When asked what it felt like to receive
the award, Rachel responded, “It felt like lying down in bed after a
long day’s worth of toil. I felt the same sense of comfort and
satisfaction, and just like a good night’s sleep, it felt all the more
better because I truly earned it with my hard work.” Not only was it the
hard work of the few weeks or even months prior to the competitions,
but it was all the collective experiences since a very young age, that
contributed to her success. The countless competitions, performances and
various other opportunities that she has utilized throughout the years
have all contributed in significant ways. Among these include the 2009
Cleveland Aradhana Bharatanatyam Competition, the Kna Idol title, which
she held for two consecutive years, the recent dance drama production
(Panchatantra), in which she played a main role, etc. When asked what
was next in her plan, Rachel said, “Well, this is only the beginning.
With every experience I keep learning and growing because there is
always more room for improvement, and this convention was no exception.
The title itself hasn’t changed me, but participating in these eventful
competitions has definitely taken me a step further, with so many more
steps still lying ahead.”
On the fourth and final day of the
convention, when Rachel was recognized for her accomplishment, she was
given a few moments to speak. In her remarks, she said “I would like to
first and foremost, thank the Lord Almighty who has showered me with
countless blessings, letting me get this far.” Then, she thanked her
parents for their unconditional love, support and tireless hard work
from the very first day. She went on to acknowledge her guru Smt.
Sunanda Nair who, in Rachel’s words, “has spent countless hours guiding
and nurturing me, not only as a dancer but also as an individual.” Last,
but not least, she left off by thanking the KCCNA executives for making
this possible!
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