The RaSa way

To begin with, joining RaSa was a way for me to get back to dancing towards the end of the pandemic, little did I know that this would become so much more to me than just a dance class. 

What started as a way to spend my weekend (after all what do single men, who don’t drink, is not much of party person, and is kind of socially awkward) indulging myself doing something I love to do (other than running), has become something of a necessity, that’s taken a deeper meaning for me.

It’s not just a class where I go to learn to dance. In many ways it has a deeper and more passionate and personal meaning to me. It is my happy and safe place, my own little family, people I look forward to meeting and spending time with and most importantly learning together and from each other.

For me RaS has become what for the longest time what MRR used to mean to me, a community, a family.

RaSa for me is Raoul, the x-factor. When he’s teaching be sure you’ll be in for  something interesting, something complex, something challenging, but absolutely awesome. You’ll be learning a choreo that will challenge, that will push you out of comfort zone. But when you get it boy you will be grateful for it. He’s someone who can teach you the intricacies of a step, who has the patient to guide till you get there, but someone who will challenge what you know and help you be a better and confident social dancer. 

RaSa is Sangeeta, or Sangu as we fondly call her. She’s the glue that binds it all. She is the heart of RaSa. If Raoul is the feature ingredient then Sangu is the sauce that brings it all together, that elevates the dish. Her passion and love for dance pours out from every pore of her being and on to the dance floor, in the way she teaches. 

Shes teaches from her heart but by no way is she a softie. She will cheer you on, even pat you and give you a high five and get all  excited when you get it right, but will not shy away from scolding you and even whacking you if you are goofing around or going off the beat. But that’s her love and passion, and shows how much she cares. She’s someone who’s so damn awesome that you can’t help but be totally in awe with her, feel her love and passion. Someone I love to bit, someone who I am eternally grateful for and feel blessed to call my dear mentor and friend.

One thing what both Sangu and Raoul try to inculcate in their lessons is that dancing is much more than steps and musicality. It’s about treating your partner rightly and respectfully and respecting their space and not going a creepszoid on them. It’s about being aware of your partner and making them be comfortable and not creeped out, while dancing, something we can so easily apply to life.

Finally, RaSa for me is Mimi, Rinku, Gagan, Ryan, Surbhi, Avani, Gaurav, Yash, and so many of fellow dancers. People who are not just dance buddies, but who are also dear friends. People who I miss when I miss class or they miss class. People who I share hi-fives and jumping for joy when you get the step or sequence right, when you get a pat from Sangu instead of the traditional whack.  People who give you feedback and help you when you struggle. People who are there to support each other.

So to conclude, RaSa is not just a place I go to learn dancing. It’s more than just two people coming together to teach dancing, or people coming together to learn dancing. It’s more than just learning dancing. RaSa is an emotion, a group and bound together for their love of dance and happiness of each other’s company brings. RaSa is happiness, expressed through dance.

Mamma Mia

For someone who has been brought up listening to ABBA, who absolutely loves and adores them, even enjoyed the movie, it’s a no brainer that when you get the chance to witness the Broadway musical based on their music, you just go for it. 

Yes, there’s no Meryl Streep, or Christine Bransky, or Mrs Weasley, I mean Julie Christie (damn I do hope I got the name right), but you are going for your love of ABBA, the actors just bring their song to life. 

So you went for it for your love of ABBA, for the love of musicals, for the love of song and dance, and sure as hell, the show didn’t disappoint. In fact, it was freakin awesome!!!!!

In many ways it reminded you why we need music and dance in our lives, cause without song or dance what are we (to borrow a line from Thank You for the Music). In many ways a song can bring us joy, it can move us, make us forget our cares for another day.

So in those few hours you leave your worries  behind and transport yourself to the isle of Greece, to sing and dance to songs you love so much, that are beloved to all. 

You just can’t help but sing along to every song cause you know the lyrics to every song, like the back of your hand. You tap your feet to the music and sport a broad smile. You even tear up a bit, moved by the ones that hold a special meaning to you. 

These are the songs which you have grown up listening to and you still do. Somewhere you feel sorry for a generation who would never know and never care for these songs.

You get all caught up in the euphoria, the energy with which the actors and performers sing and dance. And this euphoria and energy is contagious, and it wraps everyone in it.

Soon you realise that you aren’t the only person singing along and tapping your feet. There are many in the audience who are doing the same, enjoying every minute of the musical.

Though the sets weren’t as grand and elaborate as they were for The Sound of Music and The West Side Story, they served the purpose and let the musical pieces be the star. 

Everything was just the way it was meant to be, right from the singing, to the choreography, to the lighting, to the orchestra, to every musical sequence. You knew you were in for a treat when the orchestra belts tunes from the show and you can’t  help yourself and sing a long, getting all excited about what is to come. Though you wished there were less talking and more of the musical numbers, but then these were just minor quibbles.

The actors sang, danced and acted amazingly. In fact, it caught me by surprise the number of time the men were bare-chested, but hey who’s complaining about that, we all need a sight for sore eyes.

Everything felt right, full of energy, fun and entertaining. And the energy on stage drifted off it and into the audience who were already having a wonderful time. They cheered and clapped and tapped their feet and sang along enthusiastically. In fact they radiated way more energy than all the spectators of the recent cricket World Cup final combined.

By the time the show reached its encore they were up on your feet, cheering and dancing and singling along. And you couldn’t help but join them, enthusiastically clapping and dancing and singing along to Dancing Queen and Waterloo.

I can’t quite remember when was the last time I had this much fun watching a musical (well I think it was when I had gone to see the movie).

When it came to the end you couldn’t stop cheering and hollering and screaming and clapping, things that are so you. It was the most fun you had ever had in a very long time. You didn’t want it to end. How you wished  it to go on and on. You loved every single moment. You loved how it made you forget all that was troubling, that was stressing you. You loved how it made you feel. You were grateful by the end of it.

You just wanted more and more.

Now all you wanted to do was sing and dance and write and talk about how love this musical and how you ready to see it all again!!!!