“It’s good to dance; when I dance, I feel alive and happy,” says 8-year-old Rudraj
Naik, innocently. He is the winner of 63 awards of various dance and gymnastics
competitions, participating in them since the age of 3. Rudraj’s father,
Durgadas Naik, says that he knew his son would make them proud since the day he
was born. And it did happen!
The little dancer from Vidhyanagar, Ponda stood on his tiny feet
in front of the television at two and half years old, hopped a mile, then
jumped a while, raised his hands in the air, and finally swirled around on a
foot and fell. This took everyone by surprise. Day by day, the little guy
repeated his actions. Sometimes he would try the moonwalk before his mirror and
sometimes he would try somersaults on his mattress.
“He often pulled the mobile from my hand and watched YouTube
dance videos,” reveals Durgadas. Having noticed his capabilities, his parents
signed his name for a kids’ talent show in Goa at the age of three and he lived
up to their expectations by winning the prize.
His parents immediately supported him and enrolled him in Roshan
Dance Academy, Margao. There he began learning more moves and stunts. His bond
with his choreographer grew and he looked up to him as an inspiration.
“There are two people in this world that inspire me to become a
good dancer – my choreographer Ramzan Akhtar and celebrity Tiger Shroff,” says
Rudraj. “I am impressed by Tiger’s stunts and sit with his videos, practising
at home all the time.”
He even began participating in many other competitions, at
district, state and national levels. These include Creative Kids Mela, Nach
Nachuya Kalaza, Frolics, Evolution, South Indian Dance Championship, Talent
shows, Gymnastics at State level and more. Each time his parents would come
across a competition through social media or through friends, they would
immediately give his name. That is how little Rudraj has a collection of almost
63 awards and 150 certificates.
Durgadas says that his son started receiving prizes at a very
young age without even knowing that he won a prize; he didn’t even know what
those trophies were for. “Once we told him it was because of his lovely dance
performance, he’d excitedly want to learn more. Our son has always dreamed big.”
Rudraj, a Std 3 student of Popular Prathamik Vidyalay, Margao,
has sharpened his skills in doing the cartwheel, spilt, headstand and 360.
“Headstand is my favourite stunt because it helps me learn how to balance my
body. If I have a habit from this age, later I will know how to balance my body
weight while doing the stunt,” explains Rudraj.
“Besides, we rarely get to see the world upside down,” he adds
with a wink.
Rudraj is currently also learning gymnastics at Gymnastics
Training Centre, Margao under Pratap Dhere. Many people urged his parents to
let him participate in television reality competitions like Dance India Dance
or Super Dancer. However, Durgadas and Deepti felt their son needed to be more
firm in all his stunts. “To get into a show like DID is tough, as there are
many competitors, so we’re not in a hurry; we want to train him more, which is
why we also put him for gymnastics. Not only will he be more flexible, but he
will also learn new stunts for tough reality shows like this,” opines Durgadas.
Apart from his ardent love for dance, Rudraj is also good in
studies. He shows deep interest in mathematics and in his free time, likes to
solve sums. Counting numbers is not the only thing that attracts him; he also
loves to draw. He gives his time equally for his hobbies and education and
feels supported by his family and friends. “It must have been in his genes; my
husband was a good dancer too, and he often trains Rudraj or corrects him if
required,” says Deepti.
“I want to take my time and learn more and then go for bigger
competitions. My mama and papa have told me not to lose hope if I don’t get
selected and also not to be overconfident,” says little Rudraj.
Deepti
also mentions that want to send Rudraj for the DID kids auditions, probably next
year. On Sunday, June 9, 2019, Rudraj will be participating in the 3rd
International People’s Olympic Culture Competition, Goa.
