Written by: Joanne Posa
At first glance, Amiya Renavikar may seem like a typical high school student, as she balances the many challenges of advanced studies, club activities, community service, SAT prep, and a busy family life. However, up close, Amiya is not typical. Less than two years ago, she arrived in the United States from her native country, India, and became a student at Riverside High in Greer, South Carolina.
As a member of Riverside’s Atlas Club, Amiya is part of a group of talented students who are passionate about sharing international cultures with their local community. Her love of music and traditional dance has allowed Amiya to transport some of the cherished sights and sounds of her Indian heritage to the Riverside student body and the greater Upstate community through the performing arts.
Recently, we asked this sixteen-year-old international student how the Atlas Club (at school) and Upstate International Month (in the community) have served as a cultural bridge for Amiya and her family. She described how the love of traditional Indian dance and song that she shares with her mother, Meenal, has allowed her to remain deeply rooted in her native culture, while she immerses herself fully in the southern culture of her new American home.
Through her association with the International Center of the Upstate, Amiya has also helped to coordinate several multicultural performing arts exhibitions in the Greenville area. Like her mother, Amiya enjoys classical Indian dancing and singing in a variety of Indian languages. The performing arts serves as the vehicle through which both mother and daughter connect with area residents who may have never before experienced the beauty of their native culture.
This Riverside junior’s interest in international experiences and artistic expression came alive at an early age. Amiya explained, “I had an opportunity to travel to different countries with my parents ever since my childhood. This exposure initiated my interest in the people living in those countries, their languages and their culture. I observed many specialties of each culture while noting the uniqueness of each. However, with more experience and maturity I could comprehend that despite the differences in dialect, the genre of arts had a common thread; a thread of emotions. And when we moved to Greenville, I realized that the United States was the most diversified country I had ever seen and this continued my interest in international culture.”
Amiya continued, “I have always been fascinated by different music and dances. Also, the international exposure I received helped me to understand that dance is the music of our body and sound is the rhythm of our feeling. It’s the rhythm of our life. It is the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy and sadness. It does not have any barrier of language. Ancient history also reveals that, very often, people celebrated victory over enemies by dancing, and even today, dance and music are most popular forms of expressing happiness.“
When I first saw the symbol of Upstate International as different colors joined to create a multi-colored flower, I felt the people from different countries in Greenville have bonded together lovingly and they are dancing hand-in-hand by creating a circle (All Around the World), which shows the unity in a community made up of different cultures mixed and bound together as one – just as the canvas of life continues to be splattered with a radiance and variety of colors while exhibiting its beauty as a complete painting.”
As we reflect in amazement on the incredible international music and dance experiences offered during Upstate International Month, we are grateful for the joyful, generous spirit of young students like Amiya who have shared their family’s traditional customs and cultures with our community. We hope they continue to take to the stage, express the beauty of their heritage, and just keep on dancing through life!
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