“To me, dance represents happiness and love.”

Mayukha Sirineni

“I’ve been dancing since I was about 6 years old, so as of right now, 8 years. Honestly, my mom enrolled me and I didn’t really care much about the art. The only thing that really motivated me to go to the class were all my friends that also got forced to come by their moms. But over time, all of us started to grow a deeper appreciation for what it actually was. Kuchipudi teaches me a lot about my culture and dance in general teaches me about teamwork, fitness, and patience. My favorite thing about dancing is the opportunity to portray different personalities or characters. I can show people a new side of me just by a specific action or expression — it gives me the chance to be somebody I’m not. Dance is really a stress reliever for me and it teaches a lot of patience and self-confidence, and it has really helped me grow as a person as well as a team player. When I was six, I was clueless about my culture and religion. I’m glad my mom forced me to go to class because now, to me, dance represents happiness and love. I could never imagine what my life would be without dance and I’m so glad I found my purpose in my life.”