Rashmi Rekha Das, OP
Ten-year-old Samyam Pratynsh Padhiari is already a well-known figure at cultural events in the Capital city
We all have that certain something that we are good at as kids. Samyam Pratyansh Padhiari’s talent lies in modern dance. Saying Samyam is ‘good’ is actually an understatement. At the age of 10, he has mesmerised audiences with his dance moves at cultural events and reality shows.
Son of Tanmay Kumar and Smita Padhiari, the Class V student of DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur, Samyam, called Dhoon by his family and close friends, began dancing at the age of three.
His aunt Snigdha Parida says, “Dhoon was just two when he started dancing to songs. Seeing his growing passion for dance, we took him to a dance school when he turned three. He has always been a bundle of energy. So, we thought dance would be perfect for him to let out his energy. Presently, he is learning modern dance and Odissi under the tutelage of Sunil Mallick and Bobby Rout, respectively. Dhoon never skips dance class. I wouldn’t be exaggerating when I say that he cannot survive without dance.”
Snigdha remembers an interesting incident. “Dhoon was barely two and a half years old when we all had gone to Capital High School to attend a cultural event, and his elder sister Dyutirupa was anchoring the programme. On the stage, there was a photo of Odissi exponent Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. To our surprise, while we were busy watching the programme, Dhoon went to the stage without us knowing and paid homage to the legend. When he asked why he bowed before the photo of Kelucharan Mohapatra, he stunned everyone by his answer. His reply was,‘Though I don’t know who he is, his photo was enough for me to feel that he is a great dancer. That’s why I paid homage to him.’ This incident happened when he was very young.”
Dhoon is a well-known face in cultural events held in Bhubaneswar. Besides, he is the most sought-after student when it comes to school annual functions. He shot to fame after participating in the reality show, ‘Dance Odisha Dance.’ He says, “I was in the top 40 when I had to withdraw from the show because my examination was approaching. But I must say that I learned a lot from the other contestants apart from getting kudos for my performance.”
Someday, Samyam says, he hopes to be a choreographer.
IN A NUTSHELL
Nickname: Dhoon
Favourite food: Anything tasty
Favourite dancers: Michael Jackson, Shahid Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan
Inspiration: Elder sister