Ruhi Week 10 - Everybody's Watching Her
The power of performing.
I have been dancing since the age of two. It definitely took me a while to find my true passion in dance. I started off doing ballet, then jazz, then bharatanatyam, then hip hop, then contemporary, and now finally Bollywood. I experimented with slow and graceful styles, and realized after several years that my expertise lies in the fast-paced moves of Bollywood dance.
I started Bollywood dance twelve years ago when I lived in India and it was an eye-opening experience for me. I feel an incredible rush whenever I dance and even though I normally hate physical activity, the sweat from dancing is always worth it because of the joy I get while performing.
I will never forget the first solo performance I did at the age of five in front of hundreds of people on the large stage. I had been practicing for seven months beforehand and it all came down to the final day when I put on my cute red tutu and blouse and performed "Disco Deewane". After my dance was over, the entire crowd was cheering "Once more! Once more!" and I could clearly hear my parents and uncle over everyone else. Their validation of my dancing is what has pushed me for all these years to continue because the power I feel on that stage stems from the support I get when I leave it.
Since India, I continued dancing in multiple Bollywood dance schools, performing in various different places. Though Bollywood is my main forte, I feel confident in trying out other styles as well and I must say that one of my best performances was a contemporary piece I did, which you can watch here. My stage presence is one thing I will never lose no matter what type of dance I am performing. My confidence is always boosted when my parents come to me after a show with flowers in their hand, saying that I was the only person they saw on the stage because I was a "shining star."
I stopped going to dance schools in ninth grade because it became too much in high school. However, this has not stopped my love of dance at all as I continue to choreograph and perform at family events and perform in our school's Spirit Week every year. It doesn't matter if I'm performing for 20 people or 200, but the power lies within me and shows every single time.
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ReplyDeleteRuhi, I really enjoyed reading this Blog Post and learning about how you find power in the art form of Bollywood dancing. I like how you structured this piece as a chronological story, detailing your journey into the style of dance and how you developed your skills. Five is such a young and impressive age for a first dance performance, and the details you provided in your anecdote―the validation you felt from the cheers and demands to perform again―do a great job showing why you find fulfillment in dance. I viewed some of the video you linked, and the speed, coordination, and visual look of the performance really show how much effort you and your fellow dancers must have put into it. And I admire the fact that even if you don't have the time to continue this hobby in high school, you have still found ways to employ this talent, such as during Spirit Week. I often think about the amount of effort that goes into any kind of performance, whether it be something big and formal or just a rally, and I am glad that you find as much joy doing it as audiences do watching. Great job on this blog post!
ReplyDeleteHi Ruhi! It's incredible how you found your passion in Bollywood dance after years of exploring different styles, like "ballet...jazz...then hiphop," and I found your connection to performing to be immensely personal. Learning dancing at just the "age of two" and having your "first solo performance...at the age of five in front of hundreds of people" on a "large stage" is truly impressive, as I remember hiding behind my parents whenever they asked me to introduce myself when I was younger, since I was always shy and nervous to meet new people, let alone perform in front of people. I loved how you described the constant support of your family, as it definitely shows that Bollywood dance and performing is not only a talent or a hobby for you, but also a meaningful and integral part of your life. It is inspiring to see how you have continued to embrace this passion and how it shaped you, even after "stop[ping] going to dance schools in ninth grade," and I love how you still keep finding ways to keep performing no matter what. The confidence you have while and for performing is honestly an amazing power that you have, and I look forward learning more about you!
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