#OhThePlacesYouWillGo- Even a Dance Studio You Once Dreamt Of

If someone had told me 4–5 years ago that one day I’d be spinning across the floor of a real studio, dancing barefoot in a room with a big mirror, in sync with a team of brilliant dancers, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. But here I am. That dream of mine has come true!

Coming from a small town in Uttarakhand, a dance studio had always been a fish upon the sky for me. It was actually the first thing I searched for while doing the online campus tour on Ashoka’s website. The moment I saw it, I wanted to jump inside the screen and start dancing. Today, I rock stages across Ashoka with an awesome team as part of Abhinaya, the dance society of Ashoka.

But to be honest, the grandeur of Orientation Week hit me like a tidal wave. I remember sitting silently in the MPH, filled with confident voices and polished accents I’d only ever heard of. I started questioning my presence in that crowd. My inner voice kept shrinking, and my confidence dropped- until I started performing.

The first time I performed at the Talent Show, I wasn’t just moving to the beat; I was trying to reclaim my sense of self. With each performance, it was like exhaling the fear I had inhaled during that first week. Every applause, every spotlight, even every body-breaking rehearsal reminded me that I wasn’t just allowed to be here- I deserved to be.

And of course, none of it would’ve been the same without the people who now feel like home. I’ve been lucky to find new friends and be with the ones I’ve spent my entire childhood with. They cheer for me louder than I do for myself. They’re the kind of people who wait outside the dance room with a water bottle, queue up in lines two hours before the performance so they can get the best video angle. They’ve made my university life not just bearable, but brilliant.

I stumbled into the International Relations department thinking I would just learn about states and wars, but what I found was a way of seeing the world. I have sat in classrooms with professors who never made me feel less for not knowing something but instead gave me better questions to ask. When I decided to pursue it as a major back in 12th grade, I wasn’t sure if I’d stick with it. Now, I’m glad I made that decision.

Now, as I step into my second year, I don’t carry the same nervousness I did on day one. I carry rhythm, readings, moments when I thought I couldn’t do it- and did it anyway.

My journey here has been like a dance. Sometimes offbeat, sometimes out of breath, but always, always worth it.

Deepika Bora