Ojasvi Verma was born and brought up in Bhopal. She has been dancing all her childhood, but it was one random dance video that made her a social media star. Ojasvi Verma has conducted multiple dance workshops in the last couple of years and has trained many dance enthusiasts.
"My name is Ojasvi. I'm 25years old. I love to dance, and luckily it is also my profession.", says Ojasvi Verma, who is a dancer, choreographer, and a very talented Belly dancer from Bhopal. She holds a degree in computer science engineering, but it was her love for dance that made her pick it as a full-time career, and that's the reason why she nails every performance and every step while dancing.
"Dance is my meditation and my identity. Since karma means action and it will be stored forever in our memory, I want to spend my life learning how to move my body in the transcending way that it resonates all my lifetimes.", she says. According to Ojasvi, her journey of dance began the moment she started walking. Her school gave her the opportunity, and she ended up dancing and choreographing during all 12 years of her school life.
Ojasvi is a social media sweetheart. Her followers keep showering her videos with likes, shares, and comments. Her YouTube channel ‘Expressions’ was started in 2017 and now has 152 K subscribers. On Instagram too, she has more than 100k followers. But, to our surprise, Ojasvi had never planned any of these things. It was a random dance video that she uploaded on YouTube that people loved, and that's how her social media journey began.
"When I enrolled for a dance competition, I uploaded this video on YouTube for the screening process. The video got 10k views and many comments asking me when I'm uploading next. I was new to youtube and to the social media world in general. That was the first video I uploaded, and accidentally became a YouTuber after that. Through a lot of love, support, appreciation, and suggestions, I grew as a creator and kept developing and polishing my skills to create better.", says Ojasvi.
Ojasvi Verma is a fabulous Belly Dancer too. Her moves are flawless. She doesn't miss a single beat, and her body moves swiftly. Her belly dance videos are a treat to the eyes, and we wonder how it all started. "When I saw these beautiful Belly dancers doing unbelievable moves like angels, I fell in love with it. Sadie Margaret and Didem Kinali were always in my watch history and I learned a lot through their tutorials and online courses. I also attended various workshops as I got deeper into the art form.", says Ojasvi. It took her 4 long years to shape herself and to look like the bellydancers who inspired her.
Ojasvi advises all the aspiring belly dancers to focus on one isolation for a significant period of time. " Don't rush, it's about the muscle movements and muscles take time to shape up. Exercise - warm-up and cooldown are as important that learning the techniques. ", she says.
Other than being a belly dancer, Ojasvi also rocks Shuffle, waacking, heels/street jazz, dancehall, afro, salsa, bachata, Bharatnatyam, and even semiclassical dance forms. She is also a choreographer and has taught many dance enthusiasts. " I feel deeply meditative and creative while Choreographing. However, dancing makes me feel energetic and helps me express myself", she adds.
Ojasvi loves to share her skills and experience with other dance enthusiasts and conducts many offline and online dance workshops. She feels great that there are people who want to learn from her, and this keeps her motivated. "I give them my best, try to answer all the questions in detail, and enjoy teaching them the choreographies I've been working on. In 2018, I had an ACL tear in my knee on the 2nd day of the 5 day workshop course. Everyone was so concerned and understanding. They sent me prayers and love for my speedy recovery. That was a painfully grateful time to feel the humanity.", she says.
Being a social media star comes with lots of pros and cons. Her admirers and fans keep pushing Ojasvi to do better and appreciate the hard work she puts in. But, on the other hand, some try to get her down with unnecessary hate comments. Being a social media personality comes with a lot of criticism, but Ojasvi knows pretty well how to handle them.
"As long as I feel positive about what I do, I don't really get bothered by the comments. I surely take criticism positively and bring changes if it makes my dance better. I feel joyful when I read their appreciation. Thankfully 95% of comments are positive and supportive. Maybe because I dance for myself more than I dance to perform.", she adds.
From running a successful YouTube channel to having a huge fan following on Instagram, and FaceBook, Ojaswi has come a long way. She believes that these platforms have helped to strengthen her audience base. It has given financial support, exposure, creative freedom, reach for classes/workshops, and establishment as a professional dancer.
One thing that makes her videos even more appealing is the fabulous energy it oozes. Be it her belly videos, or whacking, or any other dance video, it is packed with energy and a lot of fun. It is another reason why Ojasvi is so popular among her followers.
"It's never tiring to do what you love. It only makes you more passionate if you can get better with it and especially earn through it. I had to learn patience more than creation. Sometimes things are so overwhelming that you might deviate from the fact that it's a part of life and not life itself.", she says.
For Ojasvi, dance is her passion, and it keeps her high on her heels. Several moments are close to her heart, but then there are a few special ones, which she'll never forget. Remembering one of those instances, she says, " I went on to these 3 trips in a month. The first one was to Mumbai for a workshop by Sadie Margaret, where I witnessed a fan moment for the 1st time. Another one was to Indore for a reality show audition and understanding a different kind of struggle and excitement. Last, but not the least, it was Bangalore to attend a workshop, and I got lost in the big city. This third trip was scary. I was working with a TV star for a music video, but it never aired as the LIKEE app got banned, which was the sponsor. But, overall, I loved working on them."
QUICK SIX:
Fitness tips for aspiring dancers:
Persistence to exercise every day is the key, but it's okay to be flexible and have days off. Your body is amazing. You can shape it the way you want or keep it the way it is. Drink water or eat food only when you are actually thirsty or hungry. Why compare to others when you're the only one piece in the entire world.
Fav Food: It has to be Biryani!
Fav Cafe/ Club in Bhopal: Amer Bakery Hut.
Your fav street food stall in Bhopal: Shahpura's Ayush Meena for Tandoori Momos.
Your go-to local spot in Bhopal: Friend's rooftop (where I also make videos) and K.D.
A song you would like to dedicate to your city: It seems I never left my city due to many reasons. Mostly because I could fulfill all my needs and desires here. I've been to places for few days but whenever I come back home, I'm the happiest. The song would be, 'Kho gaye hum kahan, rango sa ye sama, tede mede raste hai, jaadui imaarate hai, tu bhi hai mai bhi hu yaha.'
Also Read: Meet Chetana Salunkhe, Dance choreographer, Model, Actor, and founder of LGBT Navi Mumbai!
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