I am Muskaan Gupta. I’m 17 years old and was born and raised in New Delhi, India. Dance and I go way back to 2010 when I was a three-year-old toddler dancing at festive functions. Looking at my interest and potential in dance, my parents suggested I learn Kathak (an Indian classical dance form) with my friends. At first, it was just about having fun and dancing with my friends, but I started appreciating the dance form over the years.

I began focusing on the smaller details, perfecting the mudras (hand gestures), posture, and balance with the grace and finesse that make Kathak the beautiful art form it is. I love how each dance piece has a laya (rhythm and speed, determined by the tempo) and it always ends at the right time in sync with the music.

My favorite part of Kathak has always been storytelling: stories of different Hindu deities or a village scene. It is an escape for me where I take a break from reality and assume the role of another character. My favorite dance step is and always will be the chakras (rounds); the chakras always make me feel so light and free, which makes it such a refreshing dance move; the number of chakras one can do at a high speed is a challenge I have always loved indulging in; and the way the traditional dress moves with the dancer and falls perfectly at the end of the chakras always mesmerizes me, as I have seen in many movies and performances.