8-year-old girl finds strength in dance to overcome bullying

Chequana Wheeler

After being bullied at school, an eight-year-old has found a way to cope with the stress through dance. Vernessa Harrinanan, who lives in Princes Town, hopes to one day become a professional dancer.

A standard two student at a school in south Trinidad, Vernessa began dancing about a year ago. She is currently enrolled with EVP Dance Academy at Tarouba, San Fernando, where she explores her happiness through dance.

The soft-spoken and energetic girl told Newsday Kids that schoolmates would say means things to her. They also did mischief then placed blame on her knowing she never participated in any such actions. Such incidents made her angry, but it blossomed into something beautiful while watching a movie.

“While watching a movie and I saw a dance move. I tried to perfect the move, but I was unable to do it. I told my mummy that I wanted to join a dance school and she signed me up. I loved dancing. I do Latin, contemporary, ballet,” Vernessa said.

Dancing is not the only way Vernessa overcame bullying. She also draws and reads. However, there’s no doubt, dance is her passion.

In August last year, Vernessa competed in her very first competition, the EVP Dance Sport and placed second. Feeling very much proud of her accomplishment, she and her instructor, Delano Manganoo, look forward to future competitions both regionally and internationally.

Manganoo believes in her student’s talent, noting how Vernessa overcame her discomfort and emotions when she began dancing. Vernessa, she said, is more disciplined and this has helped with her technique. “She is good.”

Vernessa trains in ballet on Saturdays, from 12 pm-3pm, and then joins the adult class at 6 pm. She is one of three children who trains with the adults.

Her instructor encourages her to pursue her goals in dance, drama and the arts, even modelling, if she wants to. Vernessa said being a professional dancer, and being a DJ, or both is what she wants to do when she grows up.