Payals Dance Academy

Payals Dance Academy is situated at Vijaya Nagar No. 97E. It is basically a big room with a lot of mirrors and a wooden floor that we have to sweep every single day because of all the dust and foot traffic. It gets quite warm in here when there are a lot of people dancing at once, even with the windows open. You can usually hear the music from down the block before you even get to the door. We have a small corner where people leave their shoes and bags, and it is usually a bit of a mess by the end of the day. There are marks on the walls from where people have leaned or stretched over the years. It is not a fancy studio with air conditioning and sleek furniture. It is just a practical space for moving around. We spend a lot of time here, often from early morning until quite late at night. Sometimes the sound system acts up and we have to wiggle the wires to get it to work again. It is a very lived-in space. The neighborhood is fairly busy, so there is always something going on outside. We know the shopkeepers nearby and often see them when we step out for a break. It is just our little spot in Vijaya Nagar where we spend our time and do our thing. Sometimes the younger kids leave their water bottles behind.