Sometimes the most important things happen when no one is really watching. In 1998, while I was studying Chartered Accountancy, I used to have tea at a small stall near Vadodara railway station. That’s where I met Dharmesh Yelende, full of energy, inviting me out of nowhere to visit his dance class. Out of curiosity, I went.
That tea stall invite turned into one of my best memories. I started going with a friend to watch Dharmesh teach all kinds of students, from kids to adults. He was strict but kind. He didn’t have much money, but his love for dance was obvious.
Between 1998 and 2003, I saw him and his team work hard for dozens of dance competitions in Vadodara, Anand and Ahmedabad. Every time, their dance felt special. The music would build up, they’d finish strong and the audience would cheer, but the winning announcement never included his team.
After each loss, Dharmesh would ask, “How was it?” All I could say was, “Fabulous, Dharmesh. You deserved better.” But each time, the result was the same.
I remember one competition clearly,” Thanganat Dance Competition”, on Etv Gujarati, at Ahmedabad in January 2004. Dharmesh and his team gave it everything. But when the qualifiers were announced, they didn’t make it. A completely new group won instead. It felt unfair.
The best thing about Dharmesh was that he never quit. In 2005, he finally got a break on Boogie Woogie, a national TV dance show. Suddenly, this local dancer was on TV, watched by people all over India. After the show, he told me Remo D’Souza wanted him in his dance troupe. I told him to go for it.
He moved to Mumbai, chasing his dream. Years later, I saw him on Dance India Dance in 2012, amazing everyone with his skill. This time, he was winning and the spotlight was on him.
Looking back, I think of all those quiet, tough nights before he became famous, the setbacks, the late-night practices. Dharmesh’s story isn’t just about winning on stage. It’s about not giving up, even when no one thinks you’ll make it.
My takeaway? Keep going. The hard part comes before the applause. Sometimes, it starts with a simple cup of tea at a railway station and a promise not to give up.
Authored by
CA. Vijay R. Menghani
Manager-Accounts
Saurashtra Cement Limited – Mumbai