Dance MOVES - This is me Dancing :)

                                                           People usually write dance as a hobby in their CV or they mention to others while some discussion.  But doing dance and feeling its beauty is not that easy to describe. I have loved that feeling when dance was all around me. I started participating in dance events in my school days. At School, I performed at least 6 times and I was the boy who hated games in school when all make excuses to get a free time for games or for having free game period.

I never gave a serious thought to my dance skills as my coach mentions to me now. But I did realize the same in college. Thapar University ... a world of opportunities for us, students from all around the India from different backgrounds, different cultures & of course with different intellectual levels gathered at one platform. Explaining about dance is as beautiful as it is while exercising it. So events explained below are just a way of experiencing that beauty through alphabets and pictures.It is about performances in TU and my love for the same. It all started from:

MUDRA 2008

Mudra is a society about cultural events including all the art forms and fields. Usually this event happens in September or October. The audition was in 1st week of September 2008 and I failed it. I went into a state of despair. Gloominess came all around me and just feel self motivated, I said to myself, " BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME". 

NOX- 2008

NOX is an event in TU, mostly represents western culture, ideas, skills or art as they say. An event generally happens in November or October. Organizing team or Core Committee of NOX was interested in having a performance of Bhangra for the first time since its inception. People involved in organizing the event were looking for Freshers who could participate in NOX for Bhangra performance and this is where I got a first chance to perform in TU. I was rough in my moves, very disoriented or distracted and a hesitation that was making me a bit uncomfortable at my first. I was assiduous, So  gradually I learnt a touch of the basics of dance moves and I performed an average, but with a new set of friends who were crazy, stupid & interesting, I managed to handle the situation well. They were nice and I became an important person among them who was at least knowing the basics to perform in the coming events.

( I am 2nd from left in Blue dress)

Our performance was well appreciated and I was really happy to become a part of the dance team.

IZHAAR 2009

Izhaar is an intra year's event including activities like dance, dramatic play, art, literary & other competitions. Usually happen in February.  The first event in which I got selected through auditions. So after failure in MUDRA auditions, I was happy for selection in IZHAAR. This time due to competition, practice was more serious and focussed. Seniors were helping us as the team was participating for the first time in any competition. We were 11 people in the team. 6 boys and 5 girls.

We stood last but It was a learning experience for me to know new things in dance and its coordination. This time I was more confident, bold and skilled in my dance steps. While all the practices & fun, I got named as "MANGA". Because I was like a demanding guy regarding everything and this name remained with me for all my college years and still people call me with this name.

IZHAAR effect was great and left me with a name and identity which was worth taking & same was blessing me with the skills which I was always constantly to have.

( I am 1st from right sitting in Orange dress)

SATURNALIA 2009

This is Huge plus. Really-2 Huge. Cultural Fest of TU. Only best candidates get chance for performing in this fest.
                               Fortunately I was among them. First experience with Bhangra professional coach Mr. Tiwana. Saturnalia period was awesome. A lot of hard work, tips from  best skilled persons , knowledge of traditional Bhangra props & their use. It was the best learning experience ever. Missed a lot of classes, compromise with my CGPA, left Team Fateh (TU Formula One car making team), 8 to 9 hours practice, all day in track suits, no proper food, just practice, practice and practice !

I was going through the best learning phase of my life where I was able to develop my skills, to live my passion and getting a chance to compete with the best dancers of TU & with the other college teams as well in the final competition. 

Saturnalia 2009 gave me the skills which I still carry with me and the flexibility I gained in exercising Saturnalia Bhangra developed the urge in me to learn other forms of dance as well.

Well we stood 1st among 12 teams from different colleges :)Performance was awesome I would say; A panache.

FRESHERS 2009

This event was very important for us as well for others. Welcome performance for freshers batch 2009-13. It was in our plan to give chance to all those dance lovers who were never ever been on stage earlier and we did the same. Although it became difficult for us to manage so many people at the same time but it was all about dance and yes ! It was love and passion for dance. That performance went really nice and we all did enjoy a lot :)

We were a team of 8 boys and 10 girls in which 2 boys & 5 girls were new as I mentioned earlier.

IZHAAR 2010

Now I could say that I was somewhat experienced and well known to dance pitfalls and areas. We were planning for the position in first 3 as last time we were at last position. The things which were best in my team was 

1. Really good dancers
2. Well coordinated
3. Passionate about dance
4. Creative
5. Music lovers
6. From each and every corner of Punjab  
7. All always late for practices :P
8. Well known to each other
9. Each & every one was better in one or the other form
10. All were understanding   
    

 And list goes on ........

We performed a creative soundtrack with all the touch of music and transitions. The auditorium was full, each & every person from friends to strangers were supporting us like awesome. 

We stood 2nd and while coming back to hostels, we did enjoy a lot :)

  
MUDRA 2011

It's time to take revenge .... No auditions for MUDRA this time. By this time, I was an indispensable member of the Bhangra team :)
                   One can only feel it when he/she had faced it. I was feeling awesome that the event in which I was not even got selected once, and now I am the part of that. This time we were having new additions to our team. It was nice working with the freshers and giving them the same tips once our seniors gave us. MUDRA is not a competition event and all what matters is to give your best. Though I didn't perform well :(

IZHAAR 2012

4th year can't participate in events but they help juniors in their preparation for the final competition. Me and one other friend was alloted to 1st year for Bhangra coaching. It was a different experience to teach others while you still are in learning phase.I developed my handling and coordinating skills while teaching others. The 1st year team developed a dance core skill. It was just a transfer of experience from us to them in the similar manner we had from our seniors.

 ( I am 4th from left  in Maroon turban)

They stood 2nd in competition :) Nice experience.

SATURNALIA 2012

Same Coach, different team, final year of college and last event of my 4 years college life. Full energy, full enthusiasm and a target. Same practice schedule as of year 2009 event. This time our warm up game was KABBADI and then regular 7 to 8 hours practice. We enjoyed a lot in the warm up session. 

Although we stood 2nd this time but this SATURNALIA was something more than winning.

 

( I am 1st from right in Blue dress)

What I have learnt from dance is that it is an art form in which human movement becomes the medium for sensing, understanding, and communicating ideas, feelings, and experiences. Dance provides a way of learning—one that develops communication abilities, problem solving techniques, and creative and critical thinking skills. 

Dance has its own content, vocabulary, skills, and techniques, which must be understood and applied to be proficient in the art. The elements of dance are the foundational concepts and vocabulary for developing movement skills as well as understanding dance as an art form. All these elements are simultaneously present in a dance or even in a short movement phrase. It's all about Body, Action, Space, Time and Energy.

The benefits of regular dance sessions are endless - being creative, developing gross and fine motor skills, working together, building relationships, gaining self-esteem, to name a few.

I have really learnt a lot as I mentioned earlier as well. I respect dance :). Now when I am living a professional life where I have many other things to do. I miss my practice sessions, my team, missing food for practice, getting lessons from our best coaches and practicing for long hours :(

The discipline I have developed in my life because of dance is what a real treasure I have now. It really gives me a real equanimity and at the same time it's all about zeal .I always wanted to express my feelings for dance and this blog is a simple version of that. I have written the things in short as explaining each and every moment would make me write a whole book. 

Learning the dance skills & it's chemistry to life is like an accolade I have achieved in my life. I hope someday I would be on stage again to say, " This is me Dancing " :)

#Bhangra#ThaparUniversity#Best4Years :)