Amid daunting challenges and uncertainties of life, very few of us are able to fuel aspirations with increasing age. While bodies may grow old, it is the vivacity of our spirits that keeps us younger, agile and full of dreams. Popularly called 'Dancing Dadi', Instagram's Ravi Bala Sharma has become a breathing testament to these words. Leading her way on what she joyously refers to as the 'second innings' of her life, the 62-year-old woman is a viral sensation, enthralling millions through her twists and twirls!
Born and brought up in a small town of Uttar Pradesh, she briefly pursued her interest in dancing during school & college functions but never performed to Bollywood songs. Growing up, the gifted artist worked as a tabla accompanist during the early days of her career and later qualified for the job of a music teacher, at a government school in Delhi, after marriage.
Mother of two, Ravi Bala ji has lived a life similar to most other Indian women, completely engrossed in the responsibilities of her household and workplace for over 27 years, till she finally retired.
Now, she grooves to trendy numbers, fascinating innumerable netizens with her style and moves while giving the younger generations a run for their money. What started as a playful activity to fill the post-retirement void in her life, has helped her to achieve widespread fame and recognition, within a short span of 1 year. With more than 135K followers on Instagram, the woman has garnered praise from multiple dancing stalwarts and even marked her presence on prestigious platforms like 'Dance Deewane'!
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Narrating her journey, she talks about her association with the Punjab Kesari Foundation, which helped her to relive her interests and find new ways to blossom. Currently, Ravi Bala ji lives with her son in Mumbai and it is her children's efforts that led her to chalk a new way to distinction, through her stint on social media platforms!
When asked if she faced any hesitations before taking up dancing at this age, she said, "Log to kehte rahenge, uska kya sochna. Logon ke kehne ke lie bhi kucch chhodo na." She says that people must look towards the future with optimism instead of getting affected by the negativity of the past and the present. Flooded with thousands of positive comments on her videos, she feels motivated by the love that she has received.
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Captivated by the charms of Hema Malini and Rekha during her younger days, Ravi Bala ji also places Madhuri Dixit amongst her top favourites. Further, she also keeps an eye on the performances of contemporary Indian actresses and tries to emulate them in her own acts. While she possesses a love for classical dances, she is equally enamoured and interested in the trending songs of the present times. Today, she gets a wide range of requests from her followers and tries to upload a video every week.
She affirms that people of her age are mostly engaged in overthinking about the ordeals of their past lives. Amid stress and tension, the mental issues gradually lead to the deterioration of their physical health too. Here, she asks her fellow senior citizens to relive their interests and dreams, forgotten amidst the vicissitudes of life. She says, "Ab aap apne liye jiyo. Apni umar ko apne shauk pe haavi mat hone do." For the younger generations, she highlighted the need and importance of discipline, self-control and determination to achieve the desired goal.
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If there is something that the youths collectively can embrace from this inspirational woman, it is the effervescence of her personality. The difficulties of old age might have altered her physical strengths but her will to pursue her interests remains intact, as she wishes to improve herself with each passing day. She is as a beacon of hope for millions like her and continues to encourage people to convert their dreams into reality!
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