There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise. Our next journey is about a dancer/mother/homemaker/entrepreneur who fought for her passion against everyone who tried stopping her. This story is not just about a dancer but a story of a woman who pushed the walls that restrained her to establish her right to make her dream. This story is about Preeti Khetan.
Born in Rohtak, Haryana in a conservative family and brought up in the city of Delhi, Preeti had several restrictions imposed on her. From being barred from wearing certain kind of clothes to being prohibited from having any male friends, she abided by them all. Among all the societal norms that she was expected to follow, the little 3-year-old dancer who used to groove to the sound of Ghoongroo somehow lost her way. She could never discover her talent as she wasn’t even given the opportunity to think about it. She fulfilled her desires to dance during family functions which her father never acknowledged and behind closed doors where she could hide her insecurities.
Life took a different turn in 1999 when Preeti got married to Arun Khetan. She expressed her wish to join dance classes to her husband and she got herself enrolled in the Shiamak Davar Dance Academy in 2010. In the Academy, she discovered her passion and found people who genuinely appreciated the talent in her. The moment she saw herself dancing in front of the mirror, realized that she had so much potential in her. She herself was her first ever inspiration that ignited the urge in her to grow and evolve. She put in a lot of hard work into her training and did prove her worth.
After completing her strenuous training, Preeti started her own dance academy called ‘Dance Fun’. With it came a new set of hurdles. Her family didn’t support her when she was planned to start out her business. She had to juggle with her responsibilities both at her house and at her academy. She had a tough time as she struggled to strike a balance between the two. She felt burdened to such an extent that she even considered on giving up but her friend/colleague, Harsh Kumar didn’t let her do away with her dreams. Then came the day when she got selected in the dance reality show Dance India Dance Super Moms. Her family expressed their extreme dissent and forbade her from going to Mumbai for the show. However, her husband stood by her and encouraged her to go on to pursue her dreams. Her students from Dance Fun were also a source of great motivation for her. During her time on the show, even though the people and judges highly appreciated her dance, her eyes still searched for her family in the audience. She was deeply disturbed as she didn’t have the blessings of her elders at such an important junction in her life. However, she didn’t let it deter her spirit and she made all the way to the Top 10 of the show. One of her statements on the show, “No Dancer is a Nachaniya” touched everyone’s heart and mustered immense public support.
Preeti went on to win several awards, the most prominent being the Achievement Award at the events O Womania and Samvaad India in 2017. She also got felicitated with the Vijaya Award at the event that celebrated womanhood, ‘Astitva Mujhse Meri Pehchaan’.
Currently, Preeti has devoted all her time and efforts towards her academy which is one of the renowned dance academies in the city in Delhi. She plans on working towards making Dance Fun grow and expand in future. It is her dream to make it the best academy in the whole city.
When Divercity asked Preeti whom does she consider to be a perfect dancer, she said that according to her the day we consider someone to be perfect, learning stops that day itself. Every dancer has their own style and she respects their talent. However, she expressed her extreme gratitude and respect to all her teachers and mentors who have touched her life, supported her and guided her throughout her journey.
Preeti’s message,
“Dare to dream big because dreams do come true. Be proud and be blessed with the art of dancing. Learn and share as much as you can. Knowledge is meant to be shared and that’s how you will be known to the world even after you leave this world. Most importantly, dance not just to impress but also to express.”
Divercity Dance Blog 
Leave a comment