Today we’d like to introduce you to Dolly Goyal.
Hi Dolly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
DANCE, not just a word for me but it’s my lifeline. This is what I chose to be A DANCER
Being in the field of dance or part of the dance group is actually always remain part of my life from childhood to college and now when I am running my own dance school.
Passionate about dancing, teaching dance, own choreographies, own dance school, this all lead me to the path where I am right now.
I started my dancing journey at the age of 3 when I performed in my school and got lots of appreciation on my expressions. There is no way I stopped there, I kept going dancing groups, solo, competitions, performances representing school and even off the school, I got famous in my own school and in neighborhood.
Groomed under my dance teacher and senior dance mates, I have learnt doing choreographies and costume designing or can say how to manage or gathered costume within the budget. Now I was in the school dance team who compete dance competitions inter-schools. I love going to the school, doesn’t wanted to miss school because I love my dance room and dance lessons.
There is always a common question being asked by your elder ‘what would you be like when growing’ and I couldn’t think of anything other than ‘A Dance Teacher’
I got chance to live this dream very early after my graduation when in my own school one vacancy came out for the assistant dance teacher on an ad hoc basis. And yes, I had to applied which I did and yes, I got that job!
The most happiest day of my life. I am going to teach/ choreograph my juniors in my own school…. I could enjoy being in my dance room again with my own dance team. I was on the seventh heaven…
My journey has started professionally and now I have to learn and get some classical dance knowledge which could enhance my dance more beautifully more expressive and more appealing.
With this thought and interest of taking classical knowledge of dance, I enrolled myself in a Kathak education in my own city and completed 7 years of Kathak training under my Teacher/Guru Dr. Madhuker Aanand (Ph.D. holder in dance). I have learnt so much from him. His education on Kathak and his vision towards this classical form helps me in channelizing my dance energy into right path.
Though he died at the age of 40, we could have get many more learning from him, but whatever I received in the short period of 7 years, I am carrying wherever I go and teach.
My success in dance so far is all his blessings. people like my work and they can attach with me through dance which actually I believe my dedication & soul for the dance. This much hard work and enthusiasm for dance is from my teacher and his teachings.
There came a time when I got married and I (had to stop my dancing and my learning has stopped. I also had to move to a city, Mumbai, and start a new married life. God is always so grateful and kind on me that my life partner supported my dream and passion of being a dance teacher and directed me to apply to a school as a dance teacher. And once again I came back in my dancing sh0es and relish my dancing career. My work started appreciating and bonding with my dance team and choreographing for winning competitions are all elements in my dancing career. Over the time, I gained experience switching countries from India to Singapore and now to USA. I pursued my passion of dancing into a profession and ultimately opened a registered dance school in the heart of the city of Houston, Texas.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I was in Mumbai, it seemed like my life was settled. I had a husband and was enjoying teaching in one of the reputed schools in Mumbai. A while later, I gave birth to my older boy and I felt as if my life had completely changed. With unfamiliar responsibilities and challenges, I tried my best to set in this new world. At the time, unaware what obstacles my future held, it felt as if this was the most major tipping point in my life; little did I know that just a few months later we would be shifting to Singapore.
In a drastically different country, I was unaccustomed to the cultures, customs, people, and systems of this foreign land. I knew I wanted to continue my passion of dance, but as a stranger to this different world, I did not know where to start. I tried taking the first steps by joining the local education system but it was completely different from what I had experienced in the past.
Aside from this being a completely different education environment, dance was not a common subject, so I never got to teach it.
After a while, I quit this job and decided to go back to the dancing that was missing from my life. I set up some classical dance classes and started advertising on social media and through word of mouth of my friends and family. Slowly, customer by customer, my work and teaching style started to get recognized and I eventually had a large number of students ranging from children to adults that I took for performances and competitions. This continued on for about 10 years, and it seemed like my life was settled. I now had a family of myself, my husband, two children, and a great business, but little did I know that we would be moving again, this time to Houston, Texas.
The thought of shutting down my dance school shattered me from the inside and I felt as if almost a decade of hard work had just been disposed of. After landing in Houston, I had to overcome three main struggles before even starting my business.
The first of these challenges was adjusting to a different transportation culture. In Singapore, driving was a rare skill for someone to pursue. This was because Singapore is a small country with an extremely robust public transportation system. With everything at a short distance and the economic advantage of taking the bus instead of owning a car, there was never a need for me to drive myself, unlike in Houston where driving and living were intertwined.
Besides this driving challenge, there was also the issue of established competition. There were already prevailing dance schools of the same genre in Houston, and I would have to be challenging them to be able to get customers of my own.
Third was the issue of recognition. To be able to run a dance school, I need customers, audiences, and organizations to identify me with a good reputation. Without customers knowing me as a good dance teacher, I would have no one to teach. Without audiences knowing my reputation, my business won’t spread far and as quickly. Without organizations recognizing my school, I would get far fewer performance and competition offers.
I started offering free teaching in my own apartment to a group of homemakers who had interest in dancing and performing. With them, I approached outdoor radio events where they welcomed dance schools for free. I also offered myself to work voluntarily in my community cultural schools which could highlight my work. Slowly, customer by customer, my name started spreading, and after four years of adapting to new standards, competing with established schools, and rebuilding my reputation, I was able to legally register my dance school: STEPS FOR DANCING, LLC.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Steps For Dancing is a dance school where our main objective is to build a love for dancing in anyone, to give anyone the confidence to showcase their talent, and to give you everything you need to succeed and prosper in your world of dance. Steps For Dancing offers Bollywood, Kathak, and workout dances to different age groups at different levels. Classes are molded to fit you best and to fulfill the desire of dance in every individual.
Steps For Dancing also trains students for internationally recognized dance certifications and gives its dancers opportunities to participate in big stage performances and dance competitions.
Quench your thirst for dance with Dolly Goyal and the community of Steps For Dancing.
What were you like growing up?
I always seeing myself as a dance teacher even when I was of 4 years. I remember that this question has been asked many times in your childhood and maybe you have changed your choices by the time passes but I had this one choice for me, always.
I was the kid who wanted to go school
Every day, who hate Saturdays and Sundays and summer holidays. It’s funny but this is how much I like my school only because of one strong reason, dance period.
I was an average student in studies but very popular throughout till college because of dance, singing, and in sports.
Besides the love for dance, I am interested in sports too and I was the center sound in choir group.
I played and represented my school till 12th grade in games like Kabaddi, Volleyball, Badminton and sometimes in athletics Running. Very active and always on my dancing feet, I am still like this.
Sports, everyday workout is part of my fitness and dance is my profession.
I am Proud of myself of what I am today.
Contact Info:
- Email: stepsfordancing@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.stepsfordancing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stepsfordancing/?utm_medium=copy_link
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/StepsforDancing/ and https://m.facebook.com/Bollydanceaholic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4354e7RsOy-1_VWMwB0xXQ
