Who are the people who study and work at TU Delft? Reshma Kalvade says the Delftse Dance Crew has given her balance during her studies and provided a family away from home.
Master’s student Reshma Kalvade: “It’s not just a recreational activity, it’s really a form of art.” (Photo: Heather Montague)
“I’m from India but I was born and raised in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. I did my entire schooling as well as my bachelor’s there. Now I’m here pursuing my master’s in chemical engineering. I’m doing my thesis now and will defend soon. Then I start an internship at a company here in the Netherlands. It’s been a wonderful experience so far.
I’m a trained Indian classical dancer in a style called Bharatanatyam, which originated in the south of India. I started at a very young age and I have been learning it for the past 15 years. I have always been passionate about dance. During my training, I used to come home after school and spend like two or three hours dancing and I used to love it. Towards the end of my training I headlined a commemorative event, which involved a continuous performance on stage for five to six hours with live music. This event is a landmark in the training years of a classical dancer, and provides them a sense of accomplishment in taking a significant step in mastering their dance form.
When I got here, I made a really good friend in my class and he came up with the idea to start a small dance group of our own. At that time there was no Indian dance group at the university. We started with six people and performed at a cultural event at TU Delft. Then we got more opportunities to perform at different events, not just in Delft, but in other cities. Then our group started expanding, not just with Indians, but we incorporated other nationalities and got to know a lot about different cultures and different dance forms.
We didn’t limit ourselves to Bollywood dance, which is the most popular Indian dance form, but we included genres like hip hop, salsa and contemporary as well. We had people in the group who were skilled in these different styles of dance and learned a lot during the process. It’s not just a recreational activity, it’s really a form of art. And it’s something that helps you relax and take time away from studies, which can be hectic. Eventually we all got really close and now it’s almost like having a big family.”
More info: Delftse Dance Crew
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Heather Montague / Freelance writer
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