BRIDGE OF JOY : DANCING

 

  True freedom and liberation is when we start to bridge the culture ,socio economic,differences we have due to mindset, location, or space. Had the opportunity to experience this first hand recently when I had the privilege through a very dear friend to facilitate a Dance Movement workshop in Chennai  for some underprivileged children .It was a motley group of about twenty  kids, many of them around 10 to 16 years adolescents.

When I undertook this task , I was aware that  I had no idea what it would be like, to introduce  ballroom dance movements to these children but went ahead with it positively aiming to let it take course and develop  as naturally as possible .Most of these children, were quite an interactive bunch and clearly more than  ready to mingle , that put me at ease as suddenly I just knew what  my next step could be ... I decided to get them to participate as a group and then in pairs as I went about explaining  & demonstrating a few steps of some Latin and Ballroom dances .

 

        
 Clearly visible was the spirit of joy as these children and the few adults who were briefly ready to let out their inner child ,intermingled unabashedly with the power of positivity  through the medium of dance ... As I played  & danced along with the children  , one young boy (a keen learner I had observed )stepped out of the group and asked me if I would dance with him. To make it interesting to the group further I told him I will do so if he agrees to to do the Dappan Koothu ...( their folk dance style seen in Tamil films) to my Samba moves... And yes it totally synched as we heard a resounding applause and cheer from all around ! Music and dance is the language of the soul and  who knows it better than those who sing and dance themselves ... 

The beautiful time spent with these vibrant and happy go lucky kids will be entrenched in me , they gave me so much  without their knowing!!!The joy of sharing , the spirit of happiness and most of all the hope to rise above the apparent and evolve for the better.... In those precious moments I spent with them, I witnessed unconditional love and affection and positive connection from these brave-hearts ... in deep gratitude and with a thankful and blissful  heart I look ahead to this new year...
A little bit of sensitivity,enthusiasm and a touch of love and care ...goes a long long way indeed !!!

Oh yes I forgot to mention .... it was truly interesting to say the least, to be able to teach Ballroom dancing in Tamil ... But of course dancing  is a nonverbal language of its own ... and that's what we spoke that day
Hope to catch up with them soon !
Certainly intend  to conduct more such workshops in Mumbai  too... Anyone with ideas do get in touch with me ....
Savvy Raj
savvy@danceconcepts.in