Dancer Sneha Kapoor On Her Inspiring Journey | Verve Magazine
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Verve People
August 20, 2016

Dancer Sneha Kapoor On Her Inspiring Journey

Text by Simone Louis. Photograph by Ryan Martis. Styling by Anuradha Gandhi. Hair And Make-Up by Devika Heroor (Mumbai)

The salsa sensation talks about overcoming hurdles to follow her dreams

 First steps
“Dance was actually never on the cards for me. I was a professional athlete, and it was due to a sports injury that I had taken some time off. During that period, a bunch of my college friends somehow convinced me to participate in a dance competition with them. The choreographer of our act, Richard Tholoor, told me I had potential, and offered me a part in his dance troupe. That’s when I decided to start putting in more effort and went from dancing in a corner of the stage to up front and centre.”

Switching lanes
“I started out with hip-hop, but it was only when Richard’s partner left his dance company and I was asked to step in that I became familiar with Latin styles. I trained around the clock, started competing internationally and even did India’s Got Talent with him.”

Focussed moves
“My parents thought it was a phase, at first. But then they saw me waking up at the crack of dawn, going to a studio before, and even after, college, and practising 15 hours a day for competitions. That dedication, I think, is what convinced them that I’d found my calling.”

Lesson in fortitude
“Right after I went from being a nobody to a somebody, I met with a road accident in 2008 and broke my leg in two places. It took me two-and-a-half years to recover…it threw me off everything, and also Richard, as my partner. I was told that I may never dance the way I used to before the accident, but I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I went into depression but I came out fighting. I still have a rod in my leg, which will now always be a part of me. In fact, I was on India’s Got Talent while recovering from my third surgery!”

The other side of being a celebrity
“I want to be careful here…I feel that there are a lot of gifted people in our country. But, because of the ‘frills’ that the entertainment industry likes, sometimes talent gets left behind. Yes, there are performers with moving stories and it’s great to showcase them because it will inspire someone else. Still, there are also others who may not be underprivileged or may not have gone through tragedies, but are equally talented…and that alone should merit recognition.”

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