Dancing into a new life in the U.S.; discovering a passion to dance

Dance is great way to meet people, which can be especially important when you’re new to a community and a country. That’s what Prachi Sansare Matkari, discovered when she moved here from India to Minnesota.

“Three years ago, I came to an unknown land with a completely different culture. I had no family other than my husband, and no friends. I found a college friend in Minneapolis and then I got introduced to Bollywood Dance Scene.”

Bollywood Dance Scene (BDS) is a non-profit organiza­tion that makes its home at Tapestry Folkdance Center. BDS brings together Indian and non-Indian dancers in a community dedicated to teaching Indian dance, celebrating cultural diversity and promoting social harmony. It offers drop-in Bollywood-style dance classes for students of all ages and abilities, as well as opportunities to perform.

Divya Maiya, a founding mem­ber and artistic director for BDS said that “Bollywood is inspired by many dance forms: classical and folk Indian dance, street dance, hip-hop, belly dance and jazz. It does not conform to a strict format. It is over the top ridiculous; sometimes you need that to forget all the serious happenings in your life.”

BDS was just what Prachi needed. “My career was in a kind of reverse mode at that time. I was juggling new responsibilities and a new relationship. BDS provided a way to unwind and enjoy life with a group of new friends. I found my second family!”

She also found a new calling. Prachi became part of the choreography team for BDS’s Fringe show, “Spicy Masala Chai.” She now teaches Bollywood dance at Tapestry.

She’s not the only one who found that dance can change lives. “Dancing has helped me to grow as a person,” said Aravinth Vijayakandhan. “I used to be reclusive and shy. Dancing helped me socialize with others.”

Unlike Prachi, who always knew she loved to dance, Aravinth was a behind-the-scenes kind of guy who worked on the video production team of BDS. One day he had to join an impromptu dance as part of a Fringe show. After that, he started attending the classes and discovered he was “totally into dancing.” He eventually became a dance teacher with the group.

“BDS is growing and becom­ing more than just a dance class. We provide opportunities for people to take leadership roles,” says Divya. “Since 2014, we have mentored and encouraged dancers to teach Thursday classes.  Last year we offered a teaching workshop training dancers on how to lead and teach. Today we have close to 10 Bollywood choreographers and teachers.”

You’ll find budding talent at the Thursday evening dance classes, 7 to 8:30pm at Tapestry Folkdance Center, 3748 Minnehaha Ave. S. Go and check them out.