An Interview with Sayantani

On a September’s day in 2012, a mom and her young daughter rang the doorbell of a dance studio that was still so new that it did not have mirrors or even a music system. In this as yet unformed space, they learned, for the first time in their lives, to plant their feet hip width apart, to master the half pony at all the speeds of the song and to emote to the simple lyrics of the dance they wanted to perform as a surprise at the wedding of the mom’s sister in December.

The following January, along with a glowing, blow by blow review of the wedding festivities in India where the duo performed to an appreciative audience of friends and family, Sayantani shared her thoughts on this first encounter with dance:

What was your motivation behind taking dance classes?
Sayantani: I wanted to learn dancing for my sister’s wedding in India. I wanted to tell the bride how beautiful she was through a Bollywood dance called, “Pretty Woman”. I believe dance is a powerful tool to convey your emotions through choreography. However, you need a professional like Shalini who can guide you in the right direction.

What was it about the instruction style that benefited you the most (e.g. the counts or hearing the concept or knowing the words of the song)?
Sayantani: Clear instructions in a very simple way helped both of us to perform well on stage. Shalini gave me the confidence to on the dance floor and provided me the courage to perform amidst professionals.

What did your daughter enjoy most about the class?
Sayantani: Twisha could express her feelings and opinions through this dance and everyone admired how she had the cultural background and knowledge of India despite being in Switzerland from the age of 2 yrs. We both enjoyed the quality time together and the bonding we developed during these 1-hour sessions.

Would you recommend the class to your friends?
Sayantani: I would recommend your classes to everyone who wants to have some quality time for themselves and express emotions, feelings and opinions through movement of the body.

Sayantani and her daughter were my first students in Basel, a place I moved to in 2008. I missed the Modern Indian or Bollywood dancing and teaching I used to do in California tremendously in the four “danceless” years that followed. It was at such a juncture that Sayantani, whom I knew well through work, wanted to learn a dance to perform at her sister’s wedding. It was for her and her daughter that we quickly installed mirrors and got a professional music system installed in the studio space that I was fortunate enough to have. I chose a popular and fun Bollywood song for them and choreographed it with simple moves because Sayantani is originally from India and I felt that it would be a familiar first step into dance. On the personal front, I knew she worked full time and was a dedicated professional and I also knew that her family was very important to her. Although I knew her quite well, it was revealing and touching for me to read her thoughts on dance in the interview shared here, especially the part where she credits the dance lessons with allowing her quality time with her daughter.

In my column, A Dance for You and Me!, I look forward to introducing you to ordinary people who have had a memorable encounter with dance.