The Dance Studio in Nagaland That Gave Us More Than Dance

One Hour. A Few Summer Days. So Many Memories

Kamdi Hemant Bhaskar, IFS

I went to a dance studio in Nagaland to spend some quality time with my family. I never expected it to teach me something about time management!

In the summer of 2024, I was posted in Nagaland while my wife Sonal and our two children were living in Maharashtra.

My leave was limited, and travelling frequently to Nagpur was difficult. So when the children's summer holidays came, we were happy that Sonal could also manage leave and bring both children to Nagaland.

For some time, all four of us were together again.

Back in Nagpur, our days were normally packed with school, work, household responsibilities, classes, friends and social activities. During our holidays in Nagaland, we had more time with each other but not our usual busy routine.

I wanted to use that time for something meaningful.

Could we find an activity that would provide exercise, entertainment and family time together?

That is how we joined Lamgrace Dance Studio.

Now, none of us was particularly good at dancing!

Our hands would sometimes move in one direction while our legs seemed to have a different plan.

Lamgrace had a difficult job teaching us, but she was patient and never gave up.

We started practising for about an hour every day.

Slowly, something interesting happened.

That one hour was no longer just exercise.

We were learning something new, laughing together, meeting people and making friends.

Lamgrace became more than our dance teacher. She became our friend. Her assistant choreographers also became our friends.

A place where we had gone simply to learn dance became our little social circle in Nagaland.

I also remember Priya Bareil, whom Lamgrace brought in to help Sonal learn some of the more delicate dance movements. Priya was cheerful, energetic and wonderfully expressive.

Between them, Lamgrace and Priya put in tremendous effort to teach us.

Eventually, we managed to complete four short dances.

They were not perfect, but we were happy with them.

Lamgrace recorded videos of our performances.

Even today, watching those videos takes us back to that summer in Nagaland, the studio, our teachers-turned-friends and the time we spent together as a family.

I shall always be grateful to both these ladies.

After returning to Nagpur, I wanted to continue dancing.

Sonal preferred Garba and did not want to practise Bollywood dances as regularly as I did. So, with her agreement, I teamed up with my younger sister Jui and cousin sister Harsha.

Our first performance was during the Ganesh festival in August 2024 in our residential society.

We selected two old Bollywood songs that were especially enjoyed by our senior citizens.

Unfortunately, I developed chikungunya just before the performance. Those familiar with the illness know how painful the joints can become.

With medication, rehearsals and considerable excitement, I somehow managed to perform.

The appreciation we received made it memorable.

In 2025, we performed again, this time to energetic Bollywood songs.

I thought it was a good opportunity to show a little fitness too.

So I did more than 30 push-ups just before going on stage to make my arms and chest look better.

The result was rather funny.

My muscles were ready, but my lungs were not!

I was already tired when the music started.

Luckily, regular practice saved the performance.

The dance journey then took another turn.

In 2025, my son Kedar participated in a solo dance competition at school. I used to take him to his dance classes and wait during his practice.

He worked hard and won a prize.

That encouraged both of us.

In 2026, I suggested that we practise a dance together. He could perform it alone at school, and we could perform it together during our society's Ganesh festival.

We chose a warrior-style dance inspired by Tanhaji Malusare and performed to Ghamd Kar, complete with costumes, armour and a sword.

Kedar looked like a cute young warrior.

I probably acted a little too fiercely. A small child sitting in front actually moved away after seeing my sword movements!

That gave us another funny family memory.

But the most satisfying part was practising with my son.

He was preparing for school, learning and gaining confidence.

I was spending time with him.

Neither of us needed to find a separate hour for these different things.

And that is where I found an interesting lesson.

We often say we have no time for exercise, children, hobbies, friends or learning.

But we do not necessarily need a separate hour for every activity.

The same hour can sometimes fulfil several purposes.

Our dance classes in Nagaland were exercise, entertainment, family time, learning and social interaction—all together.

My practice with Kedar was preparation for his school activity and valuable father-son time.

Over the years, dance also gave us opportunities to participate in community celebrations, receive appreciation and create memories.

I particularly value performing before people who know us personally. They know we are not professional dancers. They also know that we have jobs, children and everyday responsibilities. Their appreciation is for the effort and enthusiasm, not for a perfect performance.

When I look back, I am happy that we joined that dance studio during our summer holidays in Nagaland.

We went there looking for one good family activity.

We found several benefits in the same activity—and friendships and memories that have stayed with us.

Perhaps time management is not always about fitting more activities into the day. Sometimes it is about bringing different activities and people together.

One hour. Many outcomes. No extra time needed.

I hope we continue to perform at least one dance every year.

And whenever I watch those first four videos, I remember with gratitude the two young women in Nagaland who helped start this journey.

Kamdi Hemant Bhaskar, IFS is Conservator of Forest, SDD, Forest Survey of India, MoEF&CC, GoI, Regional Office, Central Zone, CGO Complex, Seminary Hill, Nagpur