GUEST COLUMN

Discovery of (hidden) passion

Swasti Bhargava

“I wonder”, “I wish”, “… if only” are some of the expressions that come up in our minds when we flashback our life. But one doesn’t need a time-machine to go back and reset our life. In previous few years I have realized that I can still take charge and redirect my life so it aligns with my interests and passion.

I was blessed to grow up in an upper middle class family in India. I had all the love of my parents and siblings and was fortunate to get great “education”. The issue was never with opportunity but with the academic tracks and hence the career choices that follow. In my case too, like in the case of many millions of other Indian kids growing up was – Doctor or Engineer. So, I became a Telecommunication Engineer but I knew even then that I was not destined to be the next Nikola Tesla or Graham Bell. In spite of that my journey continued on auto pilot mode, and I earned my Master’s degree in Information Management from University of Maryland.

On a parallel track my personal life was in high gear – got married to a wonderful guy and as years rolled by our family expanded to four. My husband’s job took me to Maryland, Reno and California. I tried different odd jobs like Technical recruiter and even real estate agent while being a mom of two kids but career wise nothing really connected with me.

I moved to Boston 6 years ago and this is where I discovered my true passion….. Dance

My life took a turn when I went for a BollyX (Bollywood dance fitness program) training in 2015 just for fun. I had stumbled across it while looking for a Bollywood class. To my amazement, I not only got certified but also got a job offer as an instructor at YMCA, Charlestown through my mentor. In my mind, to be an instructor meant to have a perfectly toned/sculpted body along with tons of confidence which I was clearly lacking. I was such an introvert with low self-esteem that I almost said no. After gathering a lot of courage (even with anxiety issues) I faced my first demo class. To my surprise, I got such positive feedback that I was offered to teach 2 classes a week at the same location.

There was no looking back for me after that. Since then, in addition to BollyX, I have been teaching Bollywood classes to kids, teens and adults. I do corporate events, Bollywood dance parties and also choreograph for weddings and special occasions.

Following my passion for dance has given me a sense of purpose. Nothing makes me happier when I am able to get people rid of their inhibitions, make them forget about their worries and feel good about themselves.

Dance has helped me form friendships that are unique and unbreakable. I have a sense of belonging now and feel part of the community.

I am able to accept my body the way it is in-spite of its scars, birthmarks and jiggles and choose to take care of it.

I really do hope that can I be part of a world where my daughters’ self-esteem is not defined by what she looks like and where we all can redefine our own goals to simply be happy, and simply be healthy.

Swasti Bhargava

BollyX Instructor at BollyX – The Bollywood Workout

Owner/Choreographer at Swasti School of Dance

https://www.facebook.com/swasti.bhargava