Dancing her way through life

Dancing her way through life

Women need to stand up for themselves and be counted by not just though, but also action says renowned dancer Shefali Lahoti.

By Aditi Thirani

A classical dancer of renown, Shefali Lahoti is not a new name. She has won innumerable awards and trophies for the immense talent that she possesses. No matter how much one speaks her achievements, it would never quite be enough.

Dance, for Shefali, has been her first love and apart from being an expert herself, she has also choreographed for various programs and shows. She has also featured in television channels including Doordarshan, Zee Music and Sony India to name a few. She has also been conducting a lot of workshops, classes and lectures for students interested in pursuing dance. As a woman, she has been up to all the challenges that have come her way.

"Being a woman is the best gift that one can ask for," says Shefali. "No living being in world can experience the pleasure, joys and agony of being a woman. It's about being sensitive to the world in her own way and making a difference in the all the roles that life gives us," she adds. "A woman nurtures as a mother, her warmth is felt as a friend, she is adored as a daughter, cares as a sister and loves as a wife. Being a woman is being the cause of all these emotions that one can experience through her in life," says Shefali.

Shefali feels that in order to make it a fair world, women need to be respected for their individuality. "She should be given the right to create her own identity the way she wants to. And I feel she can do this if she knows how to prove herself by knowing her rights and responsibilities. People look at you the way you want them to see you," says Shefali.

As a performer/artist living in urban India and one who has travelled the world as well as interior parts of our country, she has had bittersweet experiences. The casting couch being no exception to any field, she too has faced it while approaching people for work. "I have come to realize that if the woman takes a stand and categorically conveys what she wants and proves her talent, she will be immensely respected for who she is by one and all," insists Shefali. And she has the track record to prove that she isn't one to just talk. She has walked the walk as well having performed with various artists from different and is widely admired for the sensitivity that she gets to the subject of art.

"In the course of my work and travel, I have seen women who have been doing exceptionally well in whatever field they chose. Addressing womens gatherings on several occasions, I realized how much a woman can do if she decides to and believes in herself. I dream to create a school one day where women and children specially from the lower strata of society would be given unconditional education and a learning environment to explore their genius and develop it in their own way to create a true difference to the society," says Shefali.

In today's day and age, women the world over and especially in our society have learned to create their space by asking for their rights. "This is a change that has happened over over time. She has learned to balance life and is more independent in her thought and action," says Shefali who herself enjoyed great support from her family.

"A woman needs to be more realistic to accept the truth of life that she has only 'one life to do everything she wants to do' unlike the superstitious beliefs of realizing dreams through somebody else or next lives. So my advise to them is start living life queensize and they will see the world follow them," says Shefali.

As a woman, Shefali expects to be given equality and responsibility towards life and be treated respectfully. "Women need to think of themselves as individuals who make a true difference to society with their sensitivity and compassion. They needs to be more open to trying options and they will see life get bigger, bolder and grander. And before women can ask for equality, they need to realize the fact that they are already equal in most ways and its time they prove this to the world," emphasises Shefali.