Some philosopher once said,” Dancing is the poetry of the foot”, I will second that. When we watch those dance reality shows and talent hunt programmes where people dance as if it is just a piece of cake, at some point our mind whispers “ oh it looks easy, I can also dance.” But truth is a bit different.

          All my life I fancied dancing. Honestly, I did dance here and there in my school and high school. I won’t even call it dancing, it’s just moving around a bit in the music that was being played. Deep down inside I wanted to be a dancer. My mum knew about it. I used to tell her how much I want to learn dancing and how I want to be the most popular dancer in the world.

          Unfortunately with time and maturity, it became just a wish that a wishful dream. I got carried away with the hustle bustle of life and dancing was nothing more than getting a drink and dancing to live music when the vodka gets to your head. But even with that I have never given up watching people dance. Those professional people gave me that breathless moment and the Goosebumps.

          In the beginning of 2014 I also made one resolution. I convinced myself that I will learn how to dance. So I did join a class, Classical Indian form of dancing called Kathak. Now the question is why not Salsa, Jazz or Bollywood (which is more popular in Kathmandu)? The answer is I always had  eastern classical when I thought of learning to dance.

          It was difficult to find a good teacher because in Nepal anyone who can move a bit of their arse is a dance teacher or a choreographer. I don’t mean to disrespect anyone but this is a reality. So, I found this lady who had done her Masters in Dancing from Allahabad and had been teaching Kathak for past six years. Bingo! Amby just got lucky.

          I mustered courage and visited the studio, met her and instantly I felt a very good vibration from her, which is most essential when you are learning something. She explained to me that a lot of people come with all excitement in the beginning and quit the class within 2 months time. I said I won’t quit on her. She smiled and said we shall see.  

          So I started my lessons and trust me!!it is not what we see in the television. What we see in the television is most of the time only the end result. After the first class I couldn’t sleep the whole night, my arms and legs were dead and I was in a lot of pain. But I knew it would happen so somewhere back of my mind I was mentally prepared. I dreaded my second class, thinking of the pain that will come after the practice but I pushed myself to go.

          There is a lot of technicality when you dance and these things you know only when you are learning it professionally. The hand should not be bent more than 75 degrees, the arms should be exactly 180degrees when you spread it, your eyes should be focused and so on.  And sadly I had an illusion that I can dance.

          Three months gone, and I was still struggling with the synchronization of my arms and legs. My foot should make a “thaap” sound when I bang it….and that is everytime when I bang. I couldn’t feel my foot skin. It was all dead by now. I had to scrub it everytime I got back from class, so that I don’t have cracked heels. I started to feel this is not how I wanted to feel when I do dancing.

          I was trying to make excuses to myself before each class. I don’t wanna go, but I wanna go. That dilemma was killing me. This was solely my decision and no one else so I am responsible for all of it. I couldn’t quit coz I didn’t want to disappoint myself but  I want to quit coz this was out of my expectations.

          Oh tell you what, on top of that my teacher is a perfectionist. When she says she wants it this way, she WANTS it the same way. Even if we are of the same age,….almost….she yells at me. It is indeed embarrassing infront of others. I don’t like to be yelled at, but it was my mistake that I was not doing my homework properly and going to the class. Yet I didn’t quit. I told her again, I won’t quit so easily.

          Six months gone, now I can sync my foot movements with my arms, I can play the expressions in my eyes. I finally got that sound from my foot every time I bang it. Yesterday she told me there is a tremendous improvement in my dancing and she is happy. I am happy too. At last I am again enjoying it. I can feel the movement now. I might not be perfect yet but I know I am getting there.

My teacher and I have given each other 6 months. We have completed it and we are going for our next 6 months. I look funny when I dance amongst these kids, but who cares; there is not age bar for learning, there is no rule that you can only learn when you are young. My friends laughed at me (well! they still do) when I told them I am going for classes, they make fun of me but what they don’t realize is that when you think you have come to an age where you can’t learn something new is the time you actually stop bettering yourself in life.

So do you think you can dance????