Shreya Rawat: From Indirapuram to Broadway

"My mother told me when she was conceiving me, she played the CD of Vengaboys and I suddenly kicked," Shreya was literally born to dance. Since childhood, she had a passion for dancing, and a dream to pursue it to the end. For this, she knew she needed professional training and knowledge of the various forms of dance. While schooling at Delhi Public School, Indirapuram, Shreya joined The Danceworx academy in Delhi where she learned many western dance forms like hip hop.

When she was 14, her family was struggling with financial issues due to which they could not afford the dance classes anymore. There was a rule in the academy that if you join the academy professionally you no longer have to pay fees. At the age of 15, she became the assistant instructor and continued to take dance classes throughout the school.

Adamant to study dance after school in the United States, Shreya used to travel across Delhi NCR for her SAT preparations. "I still remember the time when I used to give my boards exam in the morning and I was giving my interviews and SATS exam at night at different places in Delhi, to get admission in US and Canada colleges", she added.

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Her parents were supportive but were a little unsure of a bachelor's degree in Dance. Her parents told her to do a bachelor's degree in other studies. "One night I was up late because it was my history exams the next day, and at 4:30 a.m. I got an acceptance letter from Point Park University, US, which is one of the top 3 universities in the US."

After going to the US at the young age of 17, she was happy yet took some time to fit in. She started working at her college canteen to pay her bills.  "1st semester was the lowest point of my life back then but I got used to it and started to fit in. Everything was completely normal by the time I was done with 1st semester" says Shreya.

Her first performance as a Lead Dancer for an Off-Broadway Production at Magnet Theatre in New York was a dream come true for her. "I almost cried while we were taking bows after the performance", she says.

Ever since childhood, Shreya believes in being true to her personality and breaking stereotypes. Her inspiration is Paris Goebel. Paris Goebel is a New Zealand-based choreographer, who has achieved a lot of respect, recognition and fame all over the world. Shreya loves her for her contribution to art. Shreya looks up to her bold and unique personality. "Paris does not look like a typical dancer with great body and medium height, she's a tall, big woman and she has confidence like a goddess, that's what I love about her. I have also never been a short fair girl but athletic."

Currently, Shreya is a performer in Off-Broadway Production at Magnet Theatre in New York. She is a professional dancer in almost all western dance forms from ballet to hip hop. She teaches dance to students across public schools of New York with an organization WR Art and at a South Asian Dance Institute. She is also on the panel as a judge for Legacy Dance Championship in New York.

In future, Shreya wants to move to Los Angeles and be a part of the commercial entertainment industry. She eventually wants to have her own training institute where she would try to bridge the gap between Western dance training in India and America. 

Note: On the occasion of International Dance Day, we have replugged this story.