Two Left Legs

The first time I saw someone move like they were from another planet, couldn't keep my eyes away. I wanted to glide and spin and fly like they did. But it didn't come easy. And I knew that it never would.

This is what my inspiration was. This is what I felt when, for the first time, I saw my instructors dance. Its incredible, how they plan out every single move, how they visualise every single move, every single detail. Trust me, planning out some 1000 counts and coming up with new move every 4 counts is not really easy.

The perfect plies, grand jetes, piques, passes... and what not?!(Sorry about the technical terms) They can do it all. The only thing that drives them is sheer hard work, determination and of course, do what they are so passionate about - dance.

Some people see dancing, as people move around from one corner of the stage to another, occasionally swinging their hands and legs. Well, yeah, it is basically the same thing. But, I believe, there is another side to it. The immense practice that goes behind it is... Well, I have no words for it. Just for one show, dancers stay up the whole night and practise together. They work, work till each hand, leg, torso movement (for each person, mind you) has the same level of energy, stops at the same time, at the same place.

We practise, practise, practise till each head movement, eye movement, everything is perfectly coordinated. All this for moving around the stag from one corner to the other!

But, you know what? Even if it sounds tedious to some, this is what each dancer does. Day in - day out This is what they strive to achieve - perfection. This is what we do, and this is what we love - dancing.

Dancing, if taken up as a career, is a full time job. You NEVER work overtime - yes, even if you rehearse all night for a show. This, is just your job. It is most definitely not the kind if job which almost everyone does - sit in a comfy chair and stare for hours at the computer screen, your fingers memorising the keyboard repeatedly. Attending ca to calls every 30 seconds. Finishing work before the deadline. I'm not saying its easy, but for those who think dancing doesn't require any sort of intellect, I'll try changing your mind.

Try to imagine 30 people staring at you, expectant, waiting for you to give them some 'killer moves' but all original. 1000 killer moves. Al to be finished perfectly within a matter of 3 minutes.

Try coming to classes and finding that all 30 people are pathetic dancers. All 30 people don't know a single basic of dancing, a single technical term. And in a matter of 15 hours, making sure they attain perfection. Try coordinating every single move of theirs. From making them awfully clumsy, to breathtakingly graceful. And of course, not to mention, to to the same thing with 15 more batches everyday - continuously.

Changed your mind? Not yet? Then, TRY dancing. The way these people do.

So, the next time, when your kid comes to you saying, "Hey! Know what? I want to be a dancer!" or maybe "I would like to be an actor when I grow up", think a trillion times or bazillion times as the aspiring dancer/actor would say, before you even consider saying no. Really. Never just burst out and blabber about what kind of a third rate job it is. Well, at least I hope you won't. Know what, chances are, that this is just a phase (only if the child is 15 years or below), it'll pass. Think about it - if you don;t feel very comfortable, don't impose, give him/her subtle hints of how you feel. Even better, encourage.