Balaji Dance School

Balaji Dance School is located in Anavatti, which is part of the Sorab area in Shimoga. It’s not a massive studio with mirrors on every single wall, but it’s our space and it works well for us. We have classes mostly in the afternoons and evenings when the kids are out of their regular school. You can hear the music from the street sometimes, which probably lets the neighbors know we are busy. We teach the traditional steps and spend a lot of time on rhythm and practice. It takes a lot of patience to get the movements right. The floor gets a lot of wear and tear, and we are constantly sweeping it. Most of the students are local kids whose parents want them to learn something creative. We don't have a big front desk or a waiting lounge. Parents usually just drop the kids off or wait outside. It’s a very local operation. Sometimes we prepare for small performances in the town, which gets everyone a bit nervous and excited. We don't use any fancy marketing language to describe what we do. We just teach dance. It's a simple process of showing a move and repeating it until it sticks. Shimoga is a place with a lot of culture, and we’re just happy to be a small part of that in our corner of Anavatti. It’s hard work for the feet, but the students seem to enjoy it.