1 tip to stand out during Navaratri

Garba

The first time I witnessed a great dancer was at my cousins wedding in California.  I was 8 years old and was eager to strut my no rhythm self on the dance floor.  

Side note: Two things that happen at all Indian Wedding Receptions:

  1. More than 42% of the people will have food stains on their clothing.
  2. A massive dancing circle will exist at all times.  
    The circle will grow to encapsulate the entire dance floor.  
    The motion of clapping will take over as the medium of dancing.  
    Against their will, someone will be thrown into the middle of the circle.  
    Finally, the only way to break up a circle is to play a group dance song.

At one point in the Reception, the circle was in full form and the DJ decided to play YMCA (a group dance song).  The circle dissipated and everyone started to act like cheerleaders spelling letters with their hands.  My attention was soon diverted to the stage as a YMCA performance was happening.  Several people were performing the YMCA routine, but it was the guy in the middle that caught everyone’s attention.  

During the performance, we realized he wasn’t dancing, he was conveying what he felt through movement.  He wasn’t overly dramatic with his steps, each part of his body was in unison.  And it wasn’t how he made the letters with his hands, it was the coordination of his head with his body.  We didn’t have to see his body to know he was a great dancer, you could take one look at his head and see that was where it started.

A few weeks ago during Navaratri, I was in Kitale, Kenya.  On the last night of the festival, my family informed me that there was going to be a Garba competition and I had to wear the traditional kehediyu outfit.  Kitale is a small town, but they took pride in their Navaratri celebrations.  Awards for best costume and dancers were going to be given out and the town did not disappoint.  As the night progressed, the music intensified.

At one point in the night, I turned my head to see the crowd and noticed that I was the only one with my head up.  Everyone was focusing on the ground while the rest of their body did the dancing.  It appeared to me, that to them dancing consisted of moving your hands and feet.  In an environment where the science of the steps is commonplace, the art is where you differentiate.  That’s when I realized I was having a “YMCA” moment.

The one tip to stand out during Navaratri:

  1. Its all in your head.

Keep your head up (stop looking at your feet)

Smile

Slightly bob your head