Sunday, September 30, 2012

Jhatakas and Matkas

I spent 25 years in India and have been in London for the last 2.5. (Oh wait, did i just give away my age? *horror, horror* in case you did not calculate it, please note that i will turn 16. Year after next.)

So now that I am in the UK, I have , for the first time in my life, joined dance classes.  No ordinary dance class, mind you. Bollywood dance class. In Londond. (I refused to touch dance classes with a bargepole when I was in India. Back home children are told stories of this one girl who waged war against her parents who wanted her to continue dancing but more on that later someday when i am more inclined towards embaressing myself)

Since a career, a house to manage, a book in the market, another as a manuscript I am working on, friends, movies, travelling and then just generally living life was not enough, I have joined dance classes as well.

My love for Bollywood is not something I try to hide. (The three line 'about me' at the back of my book talks about how much i love Bollywood. Sheesh, it is that bad)

Each time I walk out of a movie, I tell myself that i will make a movie one day. I almost always say that to myself. so while it seems increasingly unlikely that i will make a movie (ever!), I thought it best to do the second best thing. Bollywood dance.

So every Tuesday and Thursday, I haul up my yoga mat and trudge my way to the dance studio so that i can soon enough give the Sri devis and the madhuris of Bollywood a run for their money.

Only, unfortunately, i dont think i am that good.
Any good.

But then, does that matter? :)

And in my defense i am getting better by the second.

The jhatakas and the matkas come more naturally to me now. I  can finally do something that resembles bhangra- my version of a bhangra-ish jiggle, I can finally follow about 10% of the instructions and I can do most steps without blatantly staring at people around me to copy their movements. (and i can stretch my legs and make my head touch the floor! Yay!)

I love the two hours i spend dancing each week. I look at the watch when we start the class. 7:30 pm and when i look up at the clock again, it is already past 8:30.
Where did the hour vanish, i say to myself, amazed each time.

By the time I finish the class I am on some endorphin induced super-duper high that refuses to go away for the next 30-40 minutes. I simply cannot sit still.

So the next time you are in a tube in London and see that girl carrying a pink yoga mat in her cloth bag, standing by the door of the train because she has too much energy to sit down , doing mini versions of dance steps- yeah, that's me.

And yes, i highly recommend dance classes. Join one if you can.

Have a great week ahead.
Love
RP


7 comments:

Bubblegum.... said...

Oh I so much love the Dance!! No way I can restart in Singapore! But I do that in my room- no dance studio! Madhuri.. well no words!! <3 Loved the post!

Unknown said...

loved your post...

R said...

@bublegum- why cant you restart in sgp? maybe you have classes somewhere? worst case, zumba is not that bad either :)


@sonal- thanks!

Sakshi said...

Oh I know What you mean :P
I do that all the time :D

lakshya khare said...

Dance is a set of activities which you do when you hear a nice music and leave your heart on its own will... And as far as i know nobody is born dancer it just requires hard work and there is no age to learn it... although its tough for those with weakening bones... and i bet you are not that much old according to the data given in the starting of this post :P i am still reading your book will send you a feedback at the email ID given in it, i hope you will love to read it :)

Ire said...

Dance is amazing...great way to stay in shape and all that jazz! But then you can lose yourself in the crazy rhythmic beats! Very happy that you are enjoying yours...someday (soon, I hope) I shall join one too.

Reema said...

I also want to join a dance class but feel shy! :(