Dance reality shows are all over the place. There was a time few months’ ago when every channel you switch to would air at least one reality show . I too was involved in judging a children’s dance-based reality show for couple of months. And as a judge, sitting on that chair, I have learnt so much from these kids. Having seen lakhs of children from all over the world, audition to be a part of these shows, I have realised one thing and it’s that only great dance technique and quality can take you to the top.
I remember meeting five-year-old Ananya Kurup. She holds the world record for being the youngest dancer in the world. The girl from South India did her Aarengethram in Bharatnatyam at the age of four. I consider her talent as a gift of God. It is said, “Some dancers are born dancers, ” and this girl is indeed one of them.
When I saw her for the first time I thought of her as just another cute kid who was dressed up in typical classical clothes and would try to do some half-baked classical moves. But I was completely wrong. She stunned me with her performance. Every move of her’s was correct, her posture was clean, and the mudras were as perfect a seasoned dancer who would have performed many times for audiences like me.
Seeing her dance like a professional made me inquisitive about her dance education, and I met her dance teacher who is also her mother. She told me Ananya started moving to music at a very early age and wanted ghongaroos as a gift all the time. Since her mother was a classical dance teacher she started teaching Ananya dance. And to her surprise Ananya did better than the older kids in her class.
I feel lucky to have seen this gifted child dance in front of me. We wanted to have this bundle of talent very badly on our show, but we did not take her. We judges felt that Ananaya was too young to take on the challenges and the stress that a reality show brings along. Her innocence and purity was infectious, but she was unaware of this talent that God had blessed her with.
There were two sides to this girl: A performer who transported us to another world when she moved her feet, and the other being a simple middle class child, when she was not dancing. I pray that Ananya keeps her love for dance alive, and does not let the worries and problems of life affect her dancing career. She is surely among one of those rare children, who are gifted and their dance speaks volumes about how God still sends ready-made dancers from heaven.