Everyone has a thing. 

You know, that one thing? The thing that never fails to make you smile. The thing that can turn a horrible day into a good one. The thing that is an essential part of your identity.

Dance is my thing.

A lot of people who know me might be surprised reading this, but it’s true. I have been dancing since I was 5 years old. Since then, dancing and I have become each other’s best friend.

My mom enrolled me in a Bharatanatyam classical dance academy in Bangalore, India. I was initially so scared of people judging me or not being able to keep up with the other kids, but it was one of the best gifts I have ever received. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with the grace, motion and emotion of dance. I developed confidence each time my arm swayed back and forth, my feet jumped on beat and my lips mouthed the words of the songs. My heart fluttered each time I heard the sound of the bells on my anklets clinking together, felt the wind swaying my long hair or landed a perfect spin. 

Little Sreeja was so excited to dress up completely with jewelry and makeup and get on stage and show off her cool moves. Performances gave me so much energy, and before I knew it, dancing became a part of my daily life. 

Dance even stayed with me when I moved to Irving at 7 years old. I knew no one; I was still getting accustomed to the country, and making eye contact with someone else seemed like the scariest thing in the world. 

You don’t have to talk to anyone when you dance. You don’t have to think about saying the wrong thing, being judged or hurting someone.

You dance for you. For your body, your mind and nothing else. 

I switched from Indian classical to western to Bollywood and many other forms of dance. I love each and every type of dance equally. I appreciate that each style is unique, and yet still conveys the same love, passion and happiness emotions. When everything changed – my home, my friends, my school – dancing is the one thing that remained the same. 

Now that COVID-19 has caused us to be in self-isolation, I am not able to learn dance from a teacher or perform on stage. However, dance stays with me in many ways. A new TikTok dance is trending almost every week, and I learn every single one of them (even though I barely post, and the ones I do post never go viral). Sometimes, I play a bop and just dance in my room. The feeling is the same. 

I have heard many things about dance. When I say I am in dance, some of my peers have told me that dancing isn’t cool. That you are just weirdly moving your body. That you look stupid. That there’s no point. 

I disagree.

Dancing is an escape. When I am dancing, I am not Sreeja Mudumby, a Coppell High School junior drowning in schoolwork and carrying boatloads of stress in her eye bags. I am whoever I want to be. 

Now, if you think I dance like Michael Jackson or Charli D’Amelio, you could not be more wrong. But does that stop me?

Not one bit.

When you are dancing for pure enjoyment, you don’t need any talent or validation. All you need to do is vibe. Dancing is one of the best things in the world. No materials needed; 100% fun guaranteed. 

Take a dance class. Dance with yourself or with your friends at parties. Dance by yourself in your room.

Go wild while you still can. 

Gallery • 2 Photos

Camila Flores

The Sidekick communications manager Sreeja Mudumby has been dancing since she was 5 years old. Starting in Bangalore, India and now here in Coppell, dance has been a constant which has helped her adapt.

Follow Sreeja (@sreejamudumby) and @CHSCampusNews on Twitter.