My Life as a Dancer

Since I was young, I’d always wanted to be a dancer. First, I tried ballet, but it never really stuck with me as I’d wanted it to. Years later, my parents told me to choose between karate and bhangra, an energetic, Indian folk dance. Since it’s always been part of my culture—and I had no intention of joining karate—I chose bhangra. 

I’ll be one hundred percent honest, in the beginning, I hated it. It felt like joining these dance classes was the worst thing that could’ve happened to me. Today, however, I’m extremely grateful that my parents forced me to continue the classes for a few months before rashly quitting. After completing all the class levels, I was given the option to join a team. Being on a team would mean learning advanced choreography and competing in bhangra competitions. This was my chance to refuse and quit for good, but by this point, I’d grown to love bhangra with a passion, so I didn’t hesitate to join a team. 

Being part of a competitive dance team required a level of commitment that dance classes never did. As part of a team, I have to work semi-weekly practices into my schedule, along with extra practice at home outside of the studio. A typical performance is made up of a five-segment cohesive routine and requires a lot of stamina, which I had to build up if I wanted to be capable of effectively dancing through the routine.

As someone who has always had stage fright, the idea of dancing in front of hundreds of people was nerve-racking. I’ll never forget my first performance. I had butterflies like never before and the whole experience was surreal. The thundering sound of applause at the end was an incredible feeling. It’s at that point that all the practice that went into the performance finally feels worth it. 

A typical in-studio practice starts off with stretches and warm-ups. After this, we get started on reviewing choreography, building on it, and perfecting it. As a competitive dancer, it’s not just about getting the moves right, but ensuring the formations are organized and that the team dances in sync. Our coaches critique every element of our performance from execution to expression. In sports, when a player is tired or in any physical pain, it’s visible on their faces. For dancers on the other hand, we must keep an unfaltering smile on our faces throughout the dance, no matter how tired or sore we are. Even if you fall on stage, unless it’s a serious injury, you’ve got to get up and finish the performance as though nothing happened. I practice with my team for months leading up to one competition. The week before the competition is the most intense and we have extra rehearsals on weeknights. 

Every dancer has faced obstacles on their dance journey. The beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic really hit me hard as a dancer. At the time of the first lockdown in 2020, my dance studio was also shut down. For several months there were no practices and minimal interactions with my team members. During these months I continued to practice on my own until we began virtual practices. Unfortunately, just before dance studios were allowed to reopen, I injured my knee and was unable to dance for five months. I was devastated and had to undergo months of chiropractic treatment to recover. As soon as I got the green light, I jumped back into dance and rejoined team rehearsals. 

Being a competitive dancer takes immense confidence, commitment, sweat, tears and pure, hard work. I’m always pushing myself past my limits and aiming for perfection, no matter what it takes. As a child, I never would’ve believed that I would become a passionate dancer and now, I wouldn’t give it up for the world.