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When I took my first dance lesson back in 2024 , I had only one desire ; to do what I love doing , to dance with all my heart , to ,literally, dance like no one’s watching ( looking back , I’m glad and relieved that no one actually was watching, barring my then instructor and myself. I was, no offence to myself, horrendous. Anyway …..) . I revelled in it . It wasn’t the technique, the steps or the choreography that I loved . It was the feeling of euphoria I experienced that night that kept me going without a hint of fatigue . I showed up again the next day and since then there has been no looking back. 

As they say ,nothing good in life comes easy. Over the last two years, I was met with situations where I twisted my ankle , pulled a muscle , hurt my toes , got my toenails chipped , tripped and bled. Suffice to say, I’ve had my fair share of falls and failures . But now when I look back , I think to myself ,why did I continue doing it when it was so painful and exhausting ? Why do I go to the studio ,at all ? 

I choose to go despite my hectic work schedules . 

I choose to go even after driving for work interstate for 5 hours. 

I choose to go when I know I can just sit back at home and enjoy watching a show on Netflix . 

I make that choice because it feels peaceful.

To the outside world , it is just a hobby . To us ,who actually understand the art , it is a form of meditation.  It is practice , hardwork and consistency.  It takes hours and hours of nonstop sweating and panting to finally see something good . Not perfect but good .  Even when you don’t see the result,  it’s exhilarating . The product of persistence is beautiful in its own way . That ecstasy of motion never seems to fizzle out and that’s when I know that this is what I love doing . I love dancing .  

I dance because it makes me forget what I am sad about. 

It makes me feel complete . It makes me believe that I’m good enough even when the voices outside tell you otherwise. It makes me realise that you need very little of anything to actually feel whole. 

When I step onto the dance floor , I feel free , a feeling that one doesn’t experience despite being independent . I feel like I’m “outside myself”.  The enticing air of the studio ,my home away from home ,is what I was in search of all these years and I’m so grateful I found it. 

We remember any place because of the people in it and I have come across the most amazing people with the most beautiful hearts here. I have met people from different parts of the world ,with different backgrounds , from all walks of life and yet, I somehow feel like I belong , that I am one of them . I feel seen , heard , safe and most importantly , loved . I hear their stories and the kind of life experiences they’ve been through , and I realise that all I am is a speck of dust in this universe .

I never chased the accolades and the admiration . That was never my intention . They came to me as a result of my discipline and dedication towards the craft . 

And that’s the whole point of my writing this ;find your passion . Find what really matters , not to anyone else but YOU ! Chase it , get obsessed with it , and keep doing it. Just don’t stop . Remember, it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone. If it makes YOU happy , it is important and that’s all the validation you need . You fall , you fail but you do it ,not because of but despite that . Do it for yourself . Trust me, your future self will thank you.

I’m beyond thankful to my amazing studio , the best instructors, the people who make this place so warm and welcoming and for ‘dance’ -the art form that gave me everything. 

It’s been two years and the journey has only begun . I have finally started believing that you just got to go for what you want and what brings you immense joy , because tomorrow it may not be there, and that’s alright too . 

Today I have dance and that’s what I love doing . And I’m going to do it with all my heart.  

By Supraja ( just a passionate dancer, on a pursuit of purity over perfection )