February 15 marked the last time I would perform a Bollywood dance at this school. Bombay in the Bay (BnB) this year was a blast — exhilarating dances, newfound friendships and stressful nights with the officers made this event something I will probably remember for the rest of my life. To be a part of such an entertaining, love-filled community event filled with Red Pride made me proud to be a Falcon, and facing the reality that I may never participate in such a show again has been bittersweet.
The first time I attended BnB was in eighth grade when I went with a few friends to watch my older sister perform. After the first two dances, I fell in love. I told myself I would participate in the show and kill it out there on stage when I was a senior in high school performing the All Male Dance (AMD). So, when I entered freshman year, I asked probably all of my friends, Indian and non-Indian, whether they would do the show because I simply could not wait a single moment longer to be a part of something that amazing.
Unable to convince many of my friends to join, I nonetheless signed up for the combined freshman and sophomore dance and the freshman and junior dance. I didn’t know how I would fit in with the older members of the club and to be quite honest, I was embarrassed dancing around people I respected so greatly. Yet, practice after practice, I adapted, left my childish comfort zone and started to enjoy myself learning cool new Bollywood moves at the same time forming valuable friendships I would carry on outside of practice.
When the first performance came around, I could see the excitement teeming as everyone paced nervously about the McAfee and reviewed last-minute formations. As freshmen, we performed first, and this was my first Bollywood dance since the Argonaut fifth grade Talent Show, so naturally I was sweating nervously on the wings. After those six minutes of magic on stage, I was certain that doing that show would be the highlight of my high school career.
Boy, was I wrong.
Every year, every show progressively grew more entertaining as more of my friends decided to hop on the Bollywood train and all the practices, choreography sessions and meetings became the very part of the year that I looked forward to the most. The connections I made, the dancing skill I’ve acquired and the confidence I’ve developed over my high school career have been invaluable and certainly would not have been possible without BnB. AMD nine for life.
