ANISHA FRANCIS
anisha@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Cecille Rodrigues has never been one to sit quietly on the sidelines. Whether she’s protesting the filling of fields in Taleigao, rallying to save trees from the axe, or painting unmarked speed breakers across Goa, she has built a reputation as a bit of a rabble-rouser, unafraid to take a stand.
But while fighting for a better, safer Goa is at the core of who she is, Cecille has also spent her life proving that dance is more than just an art form—it’s a force for transformation. Along with a team of passionate dance instructors, she now teaches thousands of children through school collaborations, ensuring they receive the opportunities she never had growing up.
Cecille’s love for dance began early. Unlike today, where tutorials are just a click away, she learned by mimicking moves from songs on Doordarshan. In school, she formed ‘Scorpions’—Goa’s first all-girls dance troupe—at a time when dance wasn’t considered a serious pursuit, especially for young girls.
People told my parents to stop me from dancing and make me focus on studies,” she recalls. But her father stood by her, allowing her to pursue her passion. His support opened doors, leading her to represent India at the Lusofonia Games in Macau in the 1990s.
After marriage, Cecille took another leap—auditioning for Dance India Dance Season 2 in 2009. She made it to Mumbai but was eliminated just before the televised rounds. Instead of giving up, she found another path. Shortly after, she focused on family and welcomed her son in 2010. While balancing motherhood, she found a new way to stay connected to dance—as a fitness instructor. Dancing not only helped her shed pregnancy weight but also reignited her passion. Encouraged by friends, she returned to the stage in 2012, this time as part of a dance troupe. “I would travel from Taleigao to Anjuna for rehearsals, and gradually regained my flexibility and strength,” she recalls.
Soon after, she won a reality show, with Goans rallying behind her. When she competed in Supermoms Season 1, her son was just two-and-a-half years old. Winning the show brought her back into the spotlight, but then came the big question—what next?
The answer arrived when Fr Avin Carvalho from Don Bosco, Panjim, invited her to teach dance to his students, many of whom were lethargic and disengaged. The experiment was a success, and soon, Cecille began teaching across multiple schools.
“The results were extraordinary—students eagerly waited for their weekly classes, refusing to miss them even when sick. Schools recorded full attendance on dance class days ,” she says gleefully.
Recognising the need to expand dance education to reach many more kids, she co-founded Encore Academy of Performing Arts three years ago with her friend and fellow dance enthusiast, Francis Coelho. Their goal was simple—promote dance beyond just performance and make it an accessible career option. To ensure the academy continued running while she stepped into politics, she brought in young dancer Anup Arolkar to manage operations.
Encore now has a team of eight. The academy focuses on training instructors, ensuring they not only master choreography but also learn how to communicate effectively. Many instructors start training between ages 16 to 18 and are fully appointed by 18. “We encourage our young trainers to continue their studies through correspondence, so they have academic qualifications alongside their dance careers,” adds Cecille.
Cecille and her team are also working to shift cultural perceptions about dance. While the Goa government heavily promotes classical forms, western dance is still underrepresented. “We need a balance,” she says. “All children have different gifts and interests, and some of them may not be great at academics but have other talents that need to be identified and honed,” she says. By integrating dance into school curricula at a nominal fee, Encore ensures that children from all backgrounds can participate. “Schools are the ideal place to integrate dance into a child’s life, especially since many parents lack the time or resources for private classes,” she adds. Today, Encore runs dance programmes in 30 schools across Goa, with a special focus on government-aided schools.
“Through dance, we help shy students express themselves, make them shout, move, and break free from their inhibitions. Watching children blossom from timid to self-assured and confident is what drives us every day. The love, smiles and hugs they give us during our sessions together are added perks,” she says.