Show Gratitude to People and Everything Around You

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1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

I was born and brought up in Chennai, into an orthodox Tamil family. I went to Kendriya Vidyalaya and later graduated from Sastra University. Both of these renowned institutions gave equal importance to academic and extracurricular activities. This is where I discovered my passion for dance.

I was able to take my dance a notch higher when I stepped foot into Mumbai - “The City of Dreams”. I took formal training in Hip Hop from the Kings United India. Then after working at a few dance centers, I finally found my place at Team Naach. Being a part of Team Naach, got me opportunities to fine-tune my teaching skills across different locations in Mumbai and even work with Bollywood actors!

Apart from dance, I hold a Masters degree and work for a leading IT company in Mumbai. I have been balancing my profession and passion. Though it is hard, my passion for dance drives me to consistently put in the right efforts and focus on growing.

2. When did you first decide you wanted to pursue dancing and how did you start?

I have been a part of cultural programmes since school. But then your parents and teachers are to be given credit for the majority of it. But then I was on my own for the very first time in my life – College. This is when I took control of what I wanted and with no one telling me what to do.

I was a part of a intra-college dance team where I later became a lead choreographer. Throughout my college dance journey, learning styles online was our only option. Things got more serious once I shifted to Mumbai where I took formal training and tried to make my body more flexible to pick up new styles easily.

One day, I got the opportunity to meet Shruthi Rai (Director of Change Studios). She believed in me and I started working as a fitness instructor in her studio. Her belief in me grew as I put in consistent efforts to make the full use of my opportunity. The unselfish nature of the person that she is introduced me to Team Naach, where I began my new dance journey.

3. Who is your favorite dancer and why?

I do not have any favorite dancer as such. But I am inspired by a lot stories behind dancers who have worked hard to be where they are right now. Motivation is definitely within me, but whenever I need some motivation from outside, there are so many dancers I can just watch and read about. That charges my battery and I will be ready to go.

4. Can you throw some light on opportunities one gets as a dancer?

Opportunities are definitely more now with the evolution of Social media. But also there is this aspect of getting lost in the sea of everyday content that gets uploaded there. Nevertheless, if you do good work and offer a unique proposition, you can catch the eyes of people.

The other path is to join choreographers, dance clubs or participate in dance competitions that can give you both the visibility and the right network needed to proceed ahead in your dance journey.

Having said this, it is quite hard to get recognized as a dancer and also build a career out it. The key is to focus on learning, not get dejected during the early stages and surround yourself with right people who can help and critique you.

5. Is formal training required or can one train themselves purely on the basis of talent?

I personally feel formal training is very important because one must first have a solid foundation. It not only helps in understanding the style/dance better but keeps us disciplined and helps us understand the technique better which gives confidence to practice that particular style. Foundation is the key, variations applied on the foundation adds to our creativity

6. What piece of advice would you like to give to future and aspiring artists?

Believe in yourself and trust the process with patience. Life is a journey. We discover new things each day, so keep learning. Embrace the struggles and challenges. It helps us grow as a person and builds our story!

Show gratitude to people and everything around you. Help people around you in their career and you will grow on your own. Never be shy! Don’t worry about people judging you.

7. Which is your favorite book and why?

I honestly don’t read a lot of books. But, I found one interesting and got into the habit of rereading it. “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, The author believes the way we see the world is entirely based on our perceptions. I strongly believe in that. That is one of the reasons why I connected to it.

Listing down the habits I follow:

Be proactive - Very important for an artist
Begin with the end in mind - Start with a clear destination in mind and visualize the outcome
Put first things first - We must manage ourselves by effectively prioritizing and be disciplined. Always remember your body and mind is first priority over everything else
Sharpen the saw – No matter how much you grow always attend workshops, learn new styles. Never quit learning or even bring the pace of learning down

Want to add more to the list in the coming days. Discipline is the most important ingredient for success. Confidence too, of course!