How I gained the courage to dance

                                                                                                                ~ by Lin Thomas​

 
Up until a few months ago, I was the dancing equivalent of a bathroom singer. Although I really loved to dance, I had never learnt dance. Dancing remained a whimsical desire with me classifying myself as someone who can’t really dance.
 
It was after I had my 2nd baby, dancing came back to my life with a bang. Most Indian women will recollect the loads of ghee and butter- laden nourishments offered post-pregnancy. Since I love to do “what is right for you and the baby”, and I am also a big fan of anything that is sweet and edible, I voraciously ate up anything offered to me.

Three months later, my digital scales caused my eyes to almost pop out. I had gained 45 pounds!!.. I kept a low-profile and most of you have not seen me at my healthiest. (Earlier generations in Kerala consider weight to be a positive sign of health and prosperity)


I decided to take the help of one of my best friends –“Google search”. Since there was plenty of advice, I decided to do something of everything. I started crunching celery, eating smaller portions, the list was long. My weight started dropping a little, but the road seemed endless.

Then a dear friend of mine calls. Do you want to dance for KAGWs Xmas program, she asks. I told her I was too fat to dance. She responded, what could be a better reason to say yes. It made perfect sense. Only when I got to the practice session, I realized I was truly a fish out of the water with no stage experience. I had another surprise in store, my very first Bollywood dance performance - was going to be a Madhuri Dixit fast track. Wow !!! I decided to proceed because I had to knock off those evil pounds.

The toughest part in the sequence was a stretch of 4 spins. By the end of the 3rd spin I almost felt I would spin off the stage. I tried in vain to convince a few in the group to change one spin to another step but everyone seemed to do just fine. I had a joint stretching, eye-opening experience where I learnt for the very first time how to follow a beat. My dormant ambition to dance, was revived thanks to the zillion jhatkas and matkas we practiced.

Mera Piya Ghar Aaya

I strictly followed some advice I had read – When you dance, dance like no one is watching. I had a wonderful experience and as you can guess, my weight started dropping faster.
                               
With the experience of a fun 3 minute stage number to my credit and my new found confidence, I decided I could take it to the next level. I brazenly enrolled myself in Kathak classes. Here I was, a mom of 2 young kids, learning dance for the very first time. I chose Kathak, since that was the dance class closest to home. My inexperience in dance selection was clearly evident at my first class, when I found out that a major component of Kathak is a “Chakkar” aka. the Spin. I nearly dropped out of the class when I learnt I would have to practice a combination of 9 spins. Phew !! .. If only I hadn’t paid the fees for the first quarter..

Eight months into the Kathak classes, there is much more finesse in my dance and I am close to managing 4 spins. The digital scales seemed to be getting kinder by the day and I am close to fulfilling by weight loss resolution. Of course, Google search and I continue to remain close friends.
So have you ever said out aloud.. “No, I really can’t dance??” Well, “Think Again” :)
​
​(Published in the KAGW Kerala Digest 2011 released in Washington DC)


(The author continues to love dancing and later participated in a Bollywood(Senorita) Dance and a traditional Thiruvathira. She still considers herself a novice at dancing - but an enthusiastic, hardworking novice, nevertheless  :-)... )