BeyondBooks: A young performer’s path to grace

Co-scholastic activities play a vital role in a student’s overall development, fostering creativity, confidence, discipline, and teamwork beyond the academic curriculum. They nurture well-rounded, expressive individuals. Meet one such student — Aman Gautam of Class IX at Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park — a brilliant and avid Kathak dancer.

In a candid interview, he shares how he started with dance.

Tell us about yourself.

I am a Class IX student, and my hobbies include dancing and painting. Both of these help me express myself in different ways.

How did you get started with dance?

I started participating in dance activities recently at school. My teacher introduced me to classical forms. She taught us Kathak and the basics of Bharatanatyam, which I found fascinating.

How do you approach learning a dance?

Once I learnt the basic steps, I tried to focus more on grace. I believe the small, refined movements matter a lot. They help polish the performance and bring the dance to life.

Have you had any prior experience in movement or dance?

Yes, even though I started formal dance training recently, I’ve been doing yoga since I was a child. Yoga helped me with balance, which is very useful in dance. Also, in our practice sessions, our teacher always reminds us to smile—it becomes a habit. So when we perform, smiling feels natural.

Do you have a favourite choreography?

It’s hard to pick one tukra or tihai, but I enjoyed the choreography of the Darbari Tarana that our teacher has taught us. It was beautiful.

What’s the most challenging piece you’ve done so far?

I’d say doing the fire element in Kathak was challenging because it demands speed and quick movements. It’s intense but exciting. So, when it comes to preparing for a performance, I just keep practising the steps until they feel right. I work on refining them. That’s my process.

What’s one lesson dance has taught you?

If you have good posture and confidence, you can do anything. Fast isn’t always better; sometimes slow movements have more grace.

How do your parents feel about your dancing? And how does the school support you?

My parents are happy that I am getting to explore a talent that was hidden in me. As for the school, they’re very supportive and want me to participate in almost every event, which is great!