I'm not sure why, but where I grew up, Indian mothers are obsessed with making their daughters models or Bollywood stars. All of the small girls went to dance classes, either contemporary or classical, and they were taught how to wear makeup, which we all know is bad for kids skin, especially if they have to wear it every day. Not even joking.

All of the girls had a fake attitude rather than a snarky one. But, you know, I've had the most interesting life. All these girls were on one side, and I was on the other. My parents never pushed me into such activities, either they improve my understanding of theology, physiology or any other subject. While the girls went to dancing classes, I relaxed at home with a book, reading and developing. They eventually grew out of it. But one day, I was watching a video. Sai Pallavi, a South Indian actress, performed to the song Pranalavya. She performed the Indian classical dance Bharatnatyam. Bharatnatyam originates in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

The term itself means "mother of all dances." Bharatnatyam is claimed to be the origin of the earliest dance form. It is a classical dance that originated in the third century BC - AD. The dance was often used to tell stories and was a form of worship for the gods.

They were performed by Devdasis, or temple dancers. I saw the video in 2021 and fell in love with the dancing. Often, girls or boys are required to learn this dance at a young age, like 5 or 6 years old; learning it in 2021, when I was 13, was rare, so I suppressed my urge. I enjoyed how they performed this dance. But for a person like me, a debater and activist who is constantly harsh and aggressive, doing something gracefully was difficult. But in 2023, two years of chronic neglect, I watched the movie Kindergarten Cop, in which Arnold Schwarzenegger featured, and I recognised that if this brutal and aggressive officer can become a kindergarten teacher and make small humans work, then I, too, can become a dancer. So I stormed up to my mother and told her that a friend's mother taught Bharatnatyam, and she enrolled me. Now the adrenaline rush had enrolled me, but the batch she was teaching had children as young as five years old. I had one aunt participate.

Image Credit: Photo by Arun Prakash from Unsplash

And then came this massive issue. See, when I said this was the mother of all dances, I meant it. It was really difficult.

I just couldn't. I had to sit in an aramandi, a half squat position, which was really difficult since I had to dance at three different speeds, which I decoded as 6. Extremely slow, very slow, slow, extremely medium, very medium, medium, fast, very fast, and extremely fast. And I couldn't cope, so my teacher suggested I study Kathak, another Indian dance that was easy in comparison. Because children are now more adaptable, they completed the task perfectly. A stiff fifteen-year-old does not work. So every day, I worked hard on my quadriceps and core. This improved my aramandi, and I practised extensively. I wasn't humiliated that a 5-year-old could outperform me; instead, I learnt and comprehended what was going on. Soon, I began to dance more gracefully and effectively.

The nicest aspect was that I started to like it. What I previously saw as mental and physical torture quickly became my passion. And a passion I am proud of.

I graduated on Saturday, wearing heels, and a buddy was attempting to put on my graduation cap for me while adding pins to it. She instructed me to kneel down, so I squatted for 4 minutes. I know I shook, but I was able to sit like that for 4 minutes, which made me proud of my muscles. I am overjoyed because this story was more than just a story; it was also an experience. I never gave up, and today, after many difficult stages, I am finally learning appropriate dance on classical tunes. I was devoted, which got me this far. The nicest aspect was that I maintained my resilience and tolerance. I didn't resist or dwell on my teacher's statements.

Image Credit: Photo by Rahul Achar from Unsplash

I formed friendships and learnt from the kids around me. This was amazing, and I adored it. I challenged myself to accomplish something I knew I couldn't do, but I did it anyway.

My point here is that my talents and trust in new challenges have grown; my body has changed, but so have my mind and heart. Experiences are the basis for growth in life, and I'm building mine. I know there are a thousand tales out there with the same moral as mine, but to whoever is reading this, you either agreed with me and stated I felt this too. But also to those who want to challenge themselves and move outside of their comfort zone, who want to do something great, you can do it. There is no age limit for learning something; if you want to do it, go for it. Just don't give up along the road; it will be difficult and demanding, but one day, when you look back, you will realise that everything was worthwhile.