Debapriya Das, an economist-turned belly dancer worked as a research economist for five years. Now, she is the artistic director at Nrityakosh, a belly dance school in the city.
“I kept participating in college fests and national competitions. Once I finished my studies and came back, I resumed my training. But this time, I wanted to dabble in a lot of things,” shares Das.
It was belly dancing that stayed with her. She took more classes attended workshops around the country and intensives abroad — all to follow her heart.
“This dance is popular because of the fusion numbers that you see in Bollywood. There are people who look at belly dancing as an exercise, a weight loss regimen or just as a hobby.”
“Any dance form is essentially a language. When working towards becoming a professional belly dancer, the kind of shows that were happening in Bengaluru were not motivating.”
After quitting her full-time job in 2018, Das started Nrityakosh, a dance school that shapes belly dancing into a professional career. She wanted aspirants to view it as a career path.
Since the establishment of Nrityakosh, Debapriya has trained close to 5,000 students all over India and abroad. But she isn’t any less of a student herself.