Dancing with joy

Dancing with joy

August 2024

Dancing  with joy August 2024
Vanisha Uppal’s dismal attempts  at performing on stage turn into an  experience to cherish forever 

After learning classical  Bharatnatyam for five  years, one day, I decided  
to choreograph a Bhajan. I  took many days to think about  
how to set the beat. As it was my first attempt,  I took a long time on  
each line to feel the  song and then to think  of appropriate steps for it. After a month of  
working for hours every  day, I finally finished it.  
Yet I was not confident  
about how it turned out  
to be. Although my  
younger sisters liked  
it, I was not sure.  
What do they know  
about dance! 
One day my dancer  
friend who had been  
choreographing for  
her temple festivals  
came to visit me. 
Dancing  with joy 
After lunch, I hesitantly told her that I had  also choreographed something. When, on her  request, I showed her what I had choreographed,  she liked it so much that she wanted to learn the  same choreography from me. She told me that  she would perform it on stage. Now I not only  felt confident but jealous too. Everyone would  praise her and nobody would come to know who  had choreographed the dance. 
Wanting to perform 
I felt a strong desire to dance on stage and show  my talent to the world. Every day, I used to visit  a nearby temple, which had a big auditorium.  Often, it was filled with people on special  festive occasions. I approached the concerned  person, who put me on to another person, and  this process continued, with nobody taking  me seriously. I requested them, “Just give me  a chance; it will take only two minutes.” I  thought that although I was volunteering in this  temple, working in the kitchen, distributing  books, attending all the lectures, and serving at  festivals, they were so inconsiderate. 
Even after trying for many months, nothing  worked, and I stopped pushing it. One day, a  foreign dancer friend visited me, and she said,  “If you introduce me to the temple president,  I can convince him. Then we both can dance  together.” I said, “It is a good idea, but I have  been approaching them for many months,  
and it is difficult to convince them. Instead of  giving me a chance, they put up all the boring  and worthless performances on stage.” She  persisted, “Let me just talk to them once.” I  took her to the president of the temple and left  for temple kitchen work. 
Getting the chance 
After half an hour, she came to me and said,  “It is done. They have given us two two-minute  time slots at the end of the cultural program,  starting next month.” I was happy that, finally,  I would get to perform on stage. Also, I was  surprised how my friend managed to do what  I could not! 
For a month, we practised for two hours  sincerely every day. We got the best jewellery  and the best dress design. Finally, the big day  arrived. We both went five hours before the  program started. The green room was filled with  children who were going to perform before us. 

After lunch, I hesitantly told her that I had  also choreographed something. When, on her  request, I showed her what I had choreographed,  she liked it so much that she wanted to learn the  same choreography from me. She told me that  she would perform it on stage. Now I not only  felt confident but jealous too. Everyone would  praise her and nobody would come to know who  had choreographed the dance. 

Wanting to perform 

I felt a strong desire to dance on stage and show  my talent to the world. Every day, I used to visit  a nearby temple, which had a big auditorium.  Often, it was filled with people on special  festive occasions. I approached the concerned  person, who put me on to another person, and  this process continued, with nobody taking  me seriously. I requested them, “Just give me  a chance; it will take only two minutes.” I  thought that although I was volunteering in this  temple, working in the kitchen, distributing  books, attending all the lectures, and serving at  festivals, they were so inconsiderate. 

Even after trying for many months, nothing  worked, and I stopped pushing it. One day, a  foreign dancer friend visited me, and she said,  “If you introduce me to the temple president,  I can convince him. Then we both can dance  together.” I said, “It is a good idea, but I have  been approaching them for many months,  

and it is difficult to convince them. Instead of  giving me a chance, they put up all the boring  and worthless performances on stage.” She  persisted, “Let me just talk to them once.” I  took her to the president of the temple and left  for temple kitchen work. 

Getting the chance 

After half an hour, she came to me and said,  “It is done. They have given us two two-minute  time slots at the end of the cultural program,  starting next month.” I was happy that, finally,  I would get to perform on stage. Also, I was  surprised how my friend managed to do what  I could not! 

For a month, we practised for two hours  sincerely every day. We got the best jewellery  and the best dress design. Finally, the big day  arrived. We both went five hours before the  program started. The green room was filled with  children who were going to perform before us. A  temple lady, a non-professional, had organised  the dance for the children. She rudely refused  to allow us to use the green room. 

My friend told me to follow her. She took me  deep inside the temple, into a dark room. What  room is this? I thought. It seemed like a new  auditorium was under construction. She used  her mobile phone torch and told me to come  behind the chairs. I followed her. We changed  our dresses somehow and wore makeup without  the help of a mirror. 

Performing at the last 

The program started. One after another, all the  performances were boring. The auditorium was  filled with people, and there was no place to  stand. It seemed the audience had never seen a  good performance before. I was getting anxious  and excited. It was getting late, and the boring  program did not seem to end.  

At 10 p.m., finally, our names were announced.  To our surprise and dismay, people started to  leave the auditorium. There was free prasad  being served after the program, and people were  hungry. Almost everyone left except four people:  my aunt, one boy, the temple president, and one  lady who organised the children’s program. She  was curious to see how we would perform. 

I was disheartened, but my friend cajoled me  into dancing, and I followed her. I danced with  all my heart and enjoyed every minute. After  that, I came out of the auditorium fully satisfied  and went to have dinner at the temple. The  president of the temple came to me and said, “It  was a pleasure to watch. Both of you performed  so beautifully. Sadly, people left before your  performance began.” 

All’s well that ends well 

But I did not regret it. It not only made me very  happy, but it remained with me to date. The temple lady who watched me dance gave me  many chances to dance and choreograph with the  temple children! Later, I performed solo many  times. 

God can do anything in the blink of an eye. In  just a moment, the whole game changes—failure  turns into success. This process is so beautiful.  Feel it, live it. It is meant to be enjoyed. There is a  pleasure in uncertainty and doubts because then  we explore more and learn more about ourselves.  In the end, we have a great story to share.

Vanisha Uppal has been a disciple of Kriya Yoga Master Per H Wibe, for  the last four years. She organises retreats for him in Ramgarh, Delhi and  Goa.