Dancer Borna Brishti cheers for Christmas

Renowned Bharatnatyam dancer Anisul Islam Hero is also a noted mentor in the country, and has performed extensively at home and abroad with his troupe Srishti Cultural Center. Among his students is Borna Brishti, who began dancing at the tender age of 3. Her initial training took place at BAFA and Shishu Academy where she practiced the basics for 11 years. She first took up Bharatnatyam in 1999, under the tutelage of Hero, which was followed by her first tour in Japan. For Christmas this year, the artiste is looking forward to an entire week of festivities and holiday cheer, which she speaks about in a recent conversation with The Daily Star. Excerpts:

“Christmas is the most anticipated day of the year. The celebrations stretch from December 25 until New Year's, and the days are filled with meeting relatives and exchanging gifts with them. There is the ritual of decorating the house and the Christmas tree, and in my house we bake a cake to commemorate the birth of Christ every year. Our specialties are the fruit cake, wine cake, and a plain pound cake. After cutting the cake we go to the church, after which we come home to a feast that lasts all day. During the evenings there are events to attend, which brings the whole community together.”