Sandhya loves to dance

Indian classical dancing isn't the easiest dance to perform and it take hours and hours of practise to perfect.

But Sandhya Saith has defied the odds and has been dancing in concerts since age five.

Sandhya, now eight, first started dancing following her mother's moves. Her mother is also an Indian classical dancer.

The young dancer says she loves to dress up in the different costumes.

After showing interest in dance, her mother, Roshni Saith, sent her to practise at the Adavallan Art Academy with guru Alana Rajah who offers virtual classical Indian dance classes.

She told Newsday Kids she is learning even more dance routines.

"I am currently learning the Bharatanatyam which is one of the many styles of classical Indian dance."

But her favourite dance routine is the Korvai Adavus because she picked up a lot of moves while learning.

She said the Korvai Adavus are short dance sequences made up of basic steps learnt in the first few years of dance.

Sandhya's mummy added performing on stage happens only after years of practice. But for this Curepe Presbyterian School student, it only took a year of practice.

After her first year, she was given the opportunity to perform on stage for the Advallan Art Academy's show, The Inner Child, in 2019. Sandhya is yet to take part in dance competitions and is excited to do so.

She recalled one valuable lesson that stuck with her after her first show.

"I remember the musicians skipping a beat and I was able to fall into the next movement. This made me realise that listening to your teacher is so important as well as practise and hard work."

She encourages other children who would like to do classical Indian dance and offers some advice.

"Dance is very fun. Make sure to listen to your teacher and remember that practise makes perfect."

Aside from dancing, Sandhya spends her time learning about science and mathematics which are her favourite subjects. She said she likes the challenges that come with them.

She said she also likes science because of the many "cool stuff" she learns, like how everything around her works.

Sandhya is working towards becoming either a doctor or a scientist, but one that will dance forever.