Anandita Sidhartha (9): “ I always loved dancing because of how fun it is, and I love being able to perform with others and in front of an audience. I used to dance a lot when I was younger, but then I stopped for three years and started again in seventh grade. 

The type of dance we do in Soor is inspired by dancing originating in Gujarat, India, where we combine raas with daandiya sticks and garba. I wanted to try out for Soor because when I saw videos of them dancing, I really liked their style, how they used the dandiya sticks, and their outfits while performing. Now that I’m a part of Soor, my favorite part of being in it is being able to wear all the different costumes and perform at really big events like Multicultural Rally and Bollywood Night. I also enjoy being able to practice dancing with a whole new group of people, learn different techniques and choreography, and just try to become a better dancer. One of the hardest parts about Soor and dance teams in general is that it’s a huge time commitment. We have a lot of major events to perform at throughout the year, so practices can become really long and frequent. The schedule can also change pretty fast and can be unpredictable since there’s always something happening, so it’s really important to have a flexible schedule. 

I also really love Bollywood, since I’ve seen a lot of Bollywood songs and movies at a really young age that I still watch today. My favorite actor is definitely Ranveer Singh, and my favorite movie is Dil Dhadakne Do.

I’m really glad to be a part of Soor, as it’s been a great way to practice dancing and also meet new people in other grades that I wouldn’t have been able to meet without being a part of a team. I’ve greatly enjoyed every single performance we’ve done so far as a team, but I’m definitely the most excited for this year’s Dil Se performance coming up this month.”