Step-By-Step

RELEASE finally came together last Saturday at Lotus Dance Studio. With six girls in attendance, the preview session began with Pratibha revealing RELEASE’s first routine. It was a routine spiced with the elegant sways, footwork and dramatic leaps of classical Indian dance.

After seeing Pratibha perform this dance with the greatest of ease, my eyes and jaws were wide open, exposing my panicking mind that was exclaiming: “She wants ME to do THAT?! Is she crazy?!”

Soon after, my anxious thoughts were followed by “Ok, calm down, Marie. The routine was feminine, cool, and inspiring. (Pause.) Heyyyy, I want to learn it too!”

And so I began nervous but ready to learn step-by-step. The beginning was easy and soothing, clearing my thoughts and preparing me to be concentrated for the footwork ahead. After several failed attempts to get the beats to make sense, they finally clicked and I thought“I am actually doing classical Indian dance. This is awesome!” The next part was the leap – the group practiced this several times before connecting it with rest of the routine. I was close to getting it. Nevertheless, the jumping was fun, and truly allowed me to be in control of the moment.

As the session concluded, I reflected upon my initial disbelief that I could not do what Pratibha proposed us six girls in beginning. Yet I had disproven myself and had completed RELEASE’s first routine. The accomplishment left me excited and dancing my way down the street.

- - Marie

My First Dance...Class

My sister is a dancer. I have friends who are dancers. I am by no means a dancer in the formal and graceful sense. (Yes, I love to dance but there is no 'method' or thought to my movment.)



So, when I met with Pratbiha and Christine for RELEASE's first dance practice, I was very excited to learn the similarities and differences between classical Indian and ballroom dance.



We began our session deciding upon the song: "Osmyo" by Buddha Bar. As RELEASE's first track, "Osmyo" is the right one; the song had soothing beats, calming the acccumulated thoughts and worries from my day to a silent lull.



With "Osmyo" playing in the background, RELEASE debuted its first dance. On the small (and makeshift) dancefloor, Pratibha and Christine began interpretting and collaborating the song to their known techniques. The resulting fusion was so graceful, fluid, feminine, and energetic. I wanted to get off my 'observing chair' and dance too!

Eventually the session concluded, and I left with an aura that gave me the energy which encourged me to walk home (when I usually would have hopped in a cab.) It felt good.

- Marie