He named his studio Dream Catchers as he wanted it to be a place where aspiring dancers could fulfil their dreams.
“I wanted to provide dancers a space where they can express themselves through dance and explore different genres,” says Sagithya, 26, whose moves incorporate hip hop, breakdance and Bollywood styles.
Like most freestyle dancers who thrive on on-the-spot choreography, Sagithya does not prepare routines before conducting classes. He prefers to wing it.
“When I hear a song, the moves come to me naturally and I find it easier than preparing a choreographed routine beforehand,” he tells FMT.
He says he lets the music “take over his body”, and adds that dance allows him to truly express himself. “The movements and facial expressions that go into a dance can tell a story that words simply cannot.”
Sagithya teaches various genres at his studio, which is located in Kuala Lumpur.
“I don’t want to just focus on one type of dance. My dancers have the freedom to explore,” he says, adding that his students range from teenagers to those in their 50s.
He has even given some of them the opportunity to become instructors by letting them choreograph their own performances.
However, the pandemic hit not long after he opened Dream Catchers. Forced to close his studio temporarily, Sagithya turned to online classes.
“Conducting online classes was not easy as I was not physically there to correct their movements,” he says.
To ensure his students were benefiting from his lessons, they would send him videos of them practising so he could evaluate their progress.
During lockdown, Sagithya and his team choreographed and released three series of dance shows on YouTube, with each series containing 10 episodes.
“It was our way of spreading joy during the movement control order, and hopefully inspire people to continue dancing,” he shares.
Sagithya has now resumed face-to-face classes but laments that the number of students has decreased.
He is, however, continuing with his online sessions as he now has students in other states and even overseas.
Love at a young age
Sagithya says he discovered his love for dance when he was around six years old.
“Whenever my parents took me to weddings or any event with a dance space, you could always find me in the middle of the floor dancing away,” he recalls.
He was always thrilled when his “performances” were met with cheers from the audience.
As Sagithya grew older, he put dancing on pause due to his shy personality. Then, when he was 19, he decided to join a friend in auditioning for a dance team.
He did not have time to practise but, to his surprise, he made the cut and in just three days learnt new choreography to accompany the team in a music video.
Sagithya, who used to work as a food delivery rider, has not looked back since, and is dedicated to his career as a dancer and instructor.
He has won several dance competitions locally and internationally, and has even choreographed dances for local and foreign Indian music videos and films.
“Before the pandemic, we also used to perform at weddings or corporate events, so hopefully we will be able to do that again soon,” he adds.
Head on over to Dream Catchers’ Instagram page or check them out on YouTube.
Dream Catchers Studio
A3-3, Jalan Pantai Murni 2
Pantai Dalam, Kampung Kerinchi
Kuala Lumpur