'Jimikis' are popular as performance jewellery among women musicians and dancers in Chennai.

Ramachandran, a graduate student in electrical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), is just one of the hundreds of US-based youngsters who have not only learnt but regularly perform Indian classical music and dance besides pursuing successful non-musical careers.

What prompted these young people, born in a country often accused of "westernising" youngsters of non-American nations, to take an interest in these kinds of arts?

"The influence begins with the parents. They not only put their children into music lessons but also work with them to develop an interest in the art forms," Seethalakshmi Madhavan, a Pittsburgh-based Carnatic vocalist and music teacher, told IANS.

"My father used to drag my sister and me to concerts when we were very young even if we slept through them. He played fun games like 'guess the raga', which got us involved, and my mother taught us small songs and shlokas (Sanskrit verses) from tapes," added Ramachandran, whose sister Divya is also learning to play violin under noted violinist Mullaivasal G. Chandramouli.

Lakshmi Iyengar, mother of enthusiastic budding dancer Radha, 14, and budding vocalist and percussionist Madhav, 9, insisted that getting a good teacher was also important.

"But, in the US, teachers like Madhavan are hard to come by and in that sense I think we were lucky," she added.

These youngsters typically begin with teachers in their area and go on to take advanced training from Indian musicians and dancers touring the US. They later travel to India during summer or winter breaks and learn from their gurus in the traditional gurukulam style (staying and travelling with their gurus).

Vanita Sundararaman, 17, for instance, trained and continues to do so under Pittsburgh-based physician and Kuchipudi danseuse Kamala Reddy. She also takes advanced lessons from noted Chennai based dancer and guru Vempatti Chinna Satyam.

"Teachers here have very little time because they have alternate careers, but since there are so few of us learning we are able to develop a closeness with our teachers and our peers.

"We go to Chennai for short periods and concentrate on learning as much as we can before it's time to return. It is intense dancing but less personal," said Sundararaman. She also learns Bharatanatyam.

Cultural organisations also play an important role by staging performances of Indian musicians and dancers, providing the youngsters with an opportunity to watch the stalwarts in action. They also provide budding artistes with a platform to display their talents.

Vocalist Anisha Anantapadmanabhan, a management major at CMU, said she received her first concert opportunity thanks to the New Jersey-based Classical Music Association of North America (CMANA). She grew up watching CMANA concerts held in Bridgewater Temple there.

"In India artistes live closer to home and concerts happen all the year round. But for us live concerts were few and we lapped up all that we got as we started getting more and more interested in classical music," said Ramachandran, who received the Utah Arts Council scholarship for folk arts in 1997, awarded to students of these arts in the state.

While these youngsters address their professors by their first names, as is the practice here, they suffix terms like "sir" or "akka" (elder sister) as a mark of respect while referring to their gurus, in keeping with convention in India.

They are called American Born Confused Desis (ABCDs) but when it comes to Indian performing arts, there's no confusion, just enthusiasm all the way!