Kalakriti is an interschool arts competition held annually for dance, music, and arts. I participated in the western group dance category this year. While I have always been interested in dancing, this competition provided me the opportunity to explore new styles and genres of dance.

LO 1 – Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.

Through consistent practice and feedback from the dance teacher, I learned to identify my mistakes and refine them. As we all practiced together, the team members exchanged feedback as well. This helped me find areas of improvement so I could help contribute to making the dance better. Through feedback, I was able to improve my body control and clarity of my steps, further improving my dance skills in general.

LO 2 – Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

To prepare the dance, I had to memorize a long choreography, which was a challenge at first. Initially i found it difficult to focus and remember each and every block but with practice I was able to do it. There were also a few moves that had trouble executing with precision at first. However, with practice, it got smoother.

Additionally, I was given a solo section in the dance. So, I choreographed it myself. This was a challenge as I had to focus on the song and understand the beats properly along with the essence of the song. After understanding the musicality, I had to think creatively and choreograph a solo waacking section for myself and got it approved from the teacher.

LO 5 – Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.

For this experience, working together was the most vital part of the preparation. I had to collaborate with my team members to ensure the dance looked good as a unit, not individually. We discussed the beats and the timings to ensure we were in sync and practiced together as well. There were certain disagreements regarding costume and hair and makeup but we all learned to work together and keep an open mind throughout the experience.

Kalakriti was more than just a competition, it was a lesson in personal growth and collaboration. I embraced my challenges, and learned to trust both myself and my team. By the end of it, I wasn’t just performing; I was expressing, connecting, and enjoying every moment on stage. This experience reminded me that pushing beyond comfort zones leads to the most fulfilling learning moments as I learned to work together with others, how to take feedback, and improve as a dancer.