Dance right through your life is a motto I swear by, theoretically and practically. I walked through the door of my dance class when I six and left that place when I was 16. I may not have become a dancing maestro, but through all those competitions, injuries, fights and friendships, I have built a castle of lessons, instilled with values that will stay with me forever.

• My mother enrolled me for a classical dance session, and though today I would love to give it another shot, the 9-year-old me was in no mood to learn and practice those mudras. Three days later, I gave up, I refused to go back. So, my mom pushed me to another dance class, and I’m so glad she did. The first task was to perform a half split! The fat kid in me said you can’t do this, but my heart said, you can! And so I did it!! Life lesson number one: It’s not about how many things you give up on, it’s about how many times you refuse to give up!!
• My first solo performance 💃 was all about me getting cold feet. So, when I went on the stage, I could hear my heartbeat. But then, I looked closely and every human sitting there looked so small, like ants. The fear left my heart, I was no longer afraid, and I danced my heart out. I didn’t win that day, but I overcame my stage fear. Life lesson number two: Perception is everything!
• Group performances are hectic, 😨😱 you work hard day and night, for that trophy. Even if a single person messes up, that moment of smiles can turn into a moment of tears. Life Lesson number three: In a team, you rise together and you fall together, there are no solo performances!
• Dance means joy, 👯‍♀️👯‍♀️ it means competitions, it means injuries. Sometimes you dance your heart out and still don’t win, sometimes you dance with injury and sometimes you might win when you least expect it. Life Lesson number four: Hardwork and Luck go hand in hand

Dance taught me how to use one’s imagination to create something beautiful and how to live in the moment. It taught me, the importance of falling in love with the sweat, injuries and discipline involved in the art rather than just being in love with the end result. It taught me the importance of perseverance (because life ain’t a saint), self-love, and most importantly that life is a game of everlasting learning.