Determination goes beyond vision

When 22-year-old Ekta Kumar appears in ‘His First Ball,’ a musical play at Maidment Theatre (Musgrove Studio) Auckland from July 16 to 19, it would be a dream fulfilled for her, members of her family and those at the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT).

Years ago, those around Ekta told her that she cannot cope with the challenges of shows and performances, which would have a critical audience.

They thought that vision impairment would be an obstacle, but Ekta has proved them all wrong year after year.

The forthcoming drama, Written by Witi Ihimaera, directed and adapted for theatre by Ruth Dudding and choreographed by Kat Walker for MIT and Struth Productions, will see Ekta at her best.

Thirteen MIT Performing Arts students will throw their brand of humour into the mix that would result in a noisy, harmonious, dynamic and fresh style of exciting theatre.

South Seas Film and TV School, which delivers the Performing Arts Course for MIT, produced ‘’His First Ball’ as a stage show in 2013. The Institute has since then remounted it to reach a wider audience in a City venue.

Early ambition

A final year Bachelor of Performing Arts student, she had visions of becoming a performer from her formative years.

“God has gifted me a melodious voice and my career was decided in the hospital where I was born. In fact, the nurse told my parents to teach me music as my voice was melodious even while crying. As an infant, I grew up listening to Hindi songs and started repeating them even on crowded trains of Mumbai,” she said.

She was barely five years old when she was asked to sing at a function held at her mother’s office. It was the accolades that she received that encouraged Ekta to learn Indian classical music in India.

NZ tunes

Migrating to New Zealand with her family, she looked for avenues to further her interest in music. Joining the Choir at her Primary School, her interest in music became serious, and the award of a Scholarship by the South Auckland Choral Society added a fillip to her budding career.

She has appeared in a number of events, including James family, Presbyterian Support Northern and The Auckland Regional Migrant Services Charitable Trust.

Ekta has also appeared in Bollywood shows and in a number of contests, including ‘Voice of Auckland’ and ‘Melody Champ’ and at fundraisers such as ‘Shiv Mandir’ (Manurewa) and Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.