When I first started taking classes at Dance Identity , I found that classes are not just sessions where music is played for an hour or so and the students mimic the instructor's steps on counts of 1-2-3-4 and so on...... At Shaira's class, I learnt not just dance but the art of getting trained the right way.

I realized that there is a difference between class levels and the class itself. The levels are important , they make you understand where you are at and how much more you can go on learning and training yourself as a dancer. Within a session of any dance class, there are several stages - the warm-up, learning the technique , learning the routine/(s), and then finally bringing them all together.

The warm-up is the MOST important session. That is where you start to stretch, flex those tight muscles while getting your body and your mind tuned ! Personally, even though I find warm-ups the most difficult part of a class, they have helped me immensely to continue being focused for the reminder of the duration of the class.

Shaira makes it vigorous but definitely with a purpose. Her aim to make you explore how fit your body is and can get through dance , how flexible you can be with regular exercise and work-out. It is something that every dance enthusiast should experience.

Coming to the techniques - they are the rules to bring out a particular routine in a particular form. For eg. if a Jazz routine needs to have a particular look and mood , its the technique that you need to get it right to achieve that !

They help you break down complicated-looking steps into something easily doable. Shaira focuses in helping you understand what you need to do to get those lines sharp, correct and complete! Her techniques are vibrant and refreshing. She , then, packs them into small routines which then magically transform into beautiful moves.

Once you learn about 2-3 routines, its time to assemble them together in a particular sequence.That is when you need to focus on the music. The routines need to look stitched and tailor-made for the song being played. Now is when you need to pay attention to the rhythm , pace and mood of the song and fit the routines for it.

The end result - a lovely dance piece ..where you have learnt the technique, the routine and have put them all together.

Shaira's class is not about memorizing steps and repeating them , it's about taking time to understand , learn and train the dancer in you to different techniques and styles of dance !

Archana Janakiraman