“Only 8 more counts left, JUST KEEP GOING!” I tell myself. My arms feel like jelly, my legs feel numb, and I cannot breathe, but I continue smiling because the judges are watching from the balcony. The adrenaline pumping throughout my body makes me forget the pain. The thrill is like no other.
When I step foot on the stage, it is just me and my dandiyas at the moment, completely immersed in all things Raas. This dance is just as mental as it is physical, as it requires endurance for six minutes of continuous dancing, constantly thinking about your next formation, your next dandiya twirl, your sharp head movements, and your facials. It really tests your limits as a dancer, but the thought of finally being able to showcase the hours of hard work, sweat, broken nails, and tubes of Bengay that went into creating the routine, fuels me to continue. If there’s one thing that I have learned while being on the Raas team, it is to perform like you’re the best dancer on the stage and practice like you’re the worst. That is what I constantly strive towards. Regardless of how my team places, I feel a sense of accomplishment and euphoria knowing that I give my 110% during a performance.
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Soon after joining the team, Raas became my form of therapy. When I’m dancing, the chemistry lab assessment I have tomorrow doesn't matter, the 1000-word sociology paper that I have due the next morning doesn't exist, and the pile of laundry that I’ve been neglecting for the past week vanishes. All the stress disappears in those few moments. My only focus is not repeating the same mistakes I made the day before. I still remember when I couldn't spin continuously without dropping my dandiya and couldn't move across the stage while 3-stepping. The other first-year dancers and I (‘noobies’, as we liked to call ourselves) were on the same struggle boat, so we became each other’s support system. Especially as someone who had never danced competitively before, it was a struggle learning how to cope with getting called out during practices. I had many mental breakdowns out of sheer frustration and feeling defeated. After all, it’s the things you care about the most that have the greatest power to hurt you. Looking back now, I am glad that I got to experience that. I realize that these low points have just made me more resilient and given me the inner strength to tackle any obstacle that comes my way.
Raas has brought me to a new stage in life, literally. What began as an attempt to meet other like-minded individuals from the Gujarati community turned into something more than I’ll ever be able to express in words. I have gotten the opportunity to share the stage and foster friendships with some of the most hard-working and talented individuals who have only pushed me to grow as a dancer and teammate. I am no longer that shy, insecure, teenager that just does her schoolwork all day and keeps to herself. I have this newfound confidence in myself and my abilities, something I didn't know I possessed eight months ago. Through my captains and other dancers in the Raas circuit, I have seen what true passion and being ‘all in’ looks like. Now, I can definitely say that dance is truly my passion. I hope to emulate this same level of passion in all my future endeavors. Carry me with the same poise as I do while 3-stepping across the stage, and wear the same smile as when I hit every dandiya point.
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