Before coming to Rice, I never considered myself a dancer. I was stiff and awkward, and I didn’t really understand how to move my body to rhythms or stay on beat. Even though I’d always been involved in musical theatre, I stuck to singing. I envied my peers who had years of experience in ballet or Bollywood. 

During my first year at Rice, I tried out for a dance team, but my lack of confidence showed, and I didn’t make it. After that, I gave up on the idea and went back to my usual routine at the gym. Sophomore year changed everything. I decided to take Indian Dance as my Lifetime Physical Activity Program (LPAP), where I learned Bharatnatyam from Rathna Kumar, Texas’s first Indian dance instructor. Through her teaching, I began connecting more deeply with my culture and sought out new dance opportunities. When Navratri came around — a festival celebrating the Hindu goddess Durga in her nine forms — I looked for places to attend Garba every night. Even though I had lived in Houston for most of my life, I had never realized how many Garba events were happening around me, from the Gujarati Samaj’s celebrations to the ones hosted by nearby universities. Going to Rice’s own Garba was especially fun and gave me a chance to reconnect with the kind of dancing I used to do as a kid.

As I got more confident, I started auditioning for theatre again and performing in musicals that combined singing and dance. The excitement of being back on stage led me to declare a theatre minor. One of my favorite things about Rice is how flexible it is — thanks to that, I was able to add the minor in my junior year and still stay on track to graduate early.

Rice also opened doors for me to explore entrepreneurship through the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie). I had been trying out different finance paths, but none of them inspired me. Then my business partner, Haley, suggested we start a cultural exchange project instead. She would help sell chai around campus if I joined the new step team, the Blue Sole Steppers, with her. Stepping is a high-energy, percussive dance form where dancers use their bodies to create rhythms through stomping, clapping, and spoken word. It has roots in African-American fraternities and sororities, and although Rice doesn’t have Greek life, I was excited to learn.

Stepping has become one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. It wasn’t easy at first — our captain and my friend, Patiance, used to joke, “Niki, stop running from the beat!” But our team of five grew close through long practices, movie nights, and plenty of fun bonding events. I was incredibly proud when we performed at Soul Night, the Black Student Association’s showcase last February. This year, we’ve taken things even further, performing as the prelude to StepAfrika’s show at Jones Hall and recruiting new members who are just as passionate. It’s been amazing to grow with this team and be part of such a hardworking, creative community.

Over the summer, I interned remotely in Houston and worked as a Rice Tour Guide. Since I was already around campus, my friend Michelle invited me to join her for a free Latin dance class downtown. After just one session, I was hooked. Over the next few months, I went from counting and staring at my feet to learning salsa, bachata, and merengue with confidence. Houston’s diversity makes it easy to learn from so many dancers with different backgrounds and perspectives, and that’s something I really value.

Now, I dance three times a week — something I never thought I would say! My days are filled with music, rehearsals, and spontaneous dance sessions with friends. Through Rice Ballroom socials, I’ve met even more people who love dancing as much as I do, and we’ve been learning and growing together. I’ve gone from feeling lost in the rhythm to finding joy in it, and through it all, Rice has given me the space to discover a new side of myself.

-Nikita, Baker ‘27 (Published on 2/17/26)