Delhi Police Helps Dance Teacher Find Job Who Lost His Livelihood During COVID-19

A Mumbai-based dance teacher named Balaji Sawalkar had lost all hope in taking his dancing dreams forward until Delhi Police became his knight with shining armour. COVID-19 took everything away from the 44-year-old as the dance institute was shut down due to a severe lack of funds that could keep it afloat. It was called the Bali Step of Dance Classes, situated in the city's Saki Naka area.

Due to the pandemic, Sawalkar had to leave Mumbai searching for a job, and another city where he could take his dance dreams forward. He taught around 85 students in the institute, and however, the situation was the same around the country. Eventually, he moved to New Delhi to start a new life.

Pandemic Took Everything Away

Sawalkar is a professional dancer whose labour of love was the dance institute. According to The Indian Express, he has performed in two world tours and shook a leg with prominent Bollywood stars. However, he faced the pandemic's wrath that took everything away from him like everybody else. "I was running a dance institute in Mumbai, which has been closed due to COVID-19 as I did not have funds to run it anymore. I was running out of money and left Mumbai. I went to four to five students' homes at different places, including Odisha and Bihar," he told the news publication.

Unsuccessful, he moved to the national capital in a bid to start afresh. Sawalkar reached in Diwali, November 4 and began to live at the famous Bangla Sahib Gurudwara. He relocated to a 'Rain Basera', a shelter provided to the homeless by the Delhi Government. One day, a station house officer (SHO) came to the premises to provide a livelihood to the residents, including the dancer.

He continues the conversation, "When the SHO asked my area of interest, I told him that I am a dance teacher and want to continue it. Sir said that he will try to find me a suitable job." Soon after, he was employed at 'Sandoz', an eatery based in Connaught Place, where he earns ₹18,000 per month. While he works there, he hopes to restart his dance institute when things get better.

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