Editor’s note: Thank you to Prairie Gardens for sponsoring this week’s Chambana mom to know, and for sponsoring all of our Chambana moms to know for the month of April. It’s time to get into the garden, don’t you think? 
Anine Singh’s life gives new meaning to multicultural. Born, raised and educated in the Netherlands, Singh performs and teaches a classical South Indian dance called Bharata Natyam — in the United States. Since moving to Central Illinois in early 2008, Singh has taught or is currently teaching Bharata Natyam at Urbana Park District, Yankee Ridge Elementary School, Urbana Middle School, Urbana High School, and will start at Montessori School of Champaign-Urbana this fall. Anine is also childcare coordinator at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Urbana, volunteers as a tutor and mentor at the middle school, and loves to read and broaden her mind. Singh and her husband Kuldeep, a professor at the University of Illinois, live in Urbana with their two children, Naomi and Oliver. Her website is www.hamsinidance.com.
See why we think Anine Singh is a Chambana mom to know.
Q: How did you develop your passion for Indian dance, and what do you enjoy about teaching it?
When I was studying Social Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam, one of my professors showed us a CDRom with her research results. Among other things, it showed her doing Indian dance steps. I was surprised somebody from the Netherlands like her could do Indian dance like that. I talked to her about it and she invited me to watch one of her dance classes. She let me join the class and later I became very serious about it. I want to try to be as good as I can at this. It is hard because I started late and my body does not always cooperate. What I love about Bharata Natyam is that it makes you feel better, it is good for body, mind, and soul. And of course it is very beautiful and enchanting: it is like danced poetry. I like to share this with other people both in doing presentations and in teaching dance. I love to teach and make other people feel better and let them enjoy what I love about this dance style.
All these cultures are incorporated in me to some extent, Dutch culture the most because I am Dutch by birth and have lived there most of my life. So for me it makes sense to live with these three cultures. The only problem is distance. Close family members are far away in Europe, and close relatives of my husband are even farther away in India. We just came back from a trip to India and in some aspects I have adapted to that culture and I feel comfortable there. I loved hanging out with my sister-in-law.
In the fall I did a presentation at Urbana Free Library for children. For me that was one of the highlights of the year and much less stressful than a more serious performance for adults that I also did in the fall. I also really love to do presentations at schools. Just to see the children’s faces light up when they get involved in the story is wonderful. Usually I let them try some hand positions and they do remarkably well making an elephant’s head or lotus flower. That is why I started teaching at schools as well. I adapt the material to whatever that age group can handle.
My daughter, who is 7, likes to join in but sometimes gets frustrated when it becomes too difficult for her. She likes to dance, any kind of dance. My son is 4 and he has tried a few times with his sister but he is still very playful about it.
Hugs! But I get a lot of those already, we don’t need it to be mother’s day for that.
Q: Now that the weather is on its way to turning for the better, what are your favorite warmer-weather things to do in Champaign-Urbana with your family, and why?
We like to explore the parks, look for beavers or birds at Meadowbrook Park or go to a playground. We like to picnic in our backyard or in the park. Like dance, being outdoors in sunny weather makes me feel better.
Once again, thank you to Prairie Gardens for their generous sponsorship of our Chambana Moms to Know in April. Anine Singh was nominated to be a Chambana Mom to Know. Send us your nominations today!