Their bags are packed. They’ve stuffed in their specially-stitched jazz costumes and doubled checked their zippers. Their ballet shoes are neatly stowed away right next to their footsies, but they still need to find space for their tap shoes. It’s time for the 16th CSTD (Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing) Asia-Pacific Dance competition and nine young dancers from Chennai are ready to take the stage in Singapore.
“The competition was open to everyone in the dance school, but participation largely depends on who has the time, money and inclination,” says Kokila Hariram, co-founder of the Academy of Modern Danse, who will be accompanying her students to the competition. Preparation for the event has involved three months of rigorous training, with the children spending six hours every evening in practice, making sure their leaps and pirouettes are perfect. “That’s just the weekdays,” says Kokila. “On Sundays, practice starts at 11 a.m. and goes up to 8 p.m.”
The competition is open to all Asia-Pacific and Commonwealth countries. The only representatives of India will be the nine children from Chennai, going up against 454 participants from other countries. Each country can take part in 12 categories and the Indian troop, despite its strength, will be taking part in 11, including lyrical ballet, Broadway jazz, tap dance and contemporary modern dance. “If we have more people taking part in this, we could represent India better. Cost is a big factor because something like this doesn’t get sponsorship here,” explains Kokila. The strength of the group says nothing about their ability to perform though, because in 2010, with just 14 children between the age groups of five and 15, they came back with the overall performance cup. Kokila, who has been training children to take part in the competition every year since 2009, says, “At the end of the day, I tell my kids it’s not about winning, it’s about the experience of going there.”
The competition builds character, confidence and offers much in terms of exposure. “When you see what you are up against in the International arena, it really improves you as a dancer,” says 14-year-old Pushya Ramesh, who’s taking part in the competition for the fifth time. For the children, it’s a new platform to express their interest and skill in the art form, learn new techniques and make new friends. Most of all, it’s an opportunity to compete and a chance to win trophies.
