You can be graceful, free, or powerful when you dance, but when you dance for 127 hours, as an Indian teenager did last week, you can set a Guinness World Record.
Srushti Sudhir Jagtap, 16, a student from India danced for five days straight and broke the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest dance marathon by an individual with a time of 127 hours.
The record was previously held by Nepalese dancer Bandana Nepal with a time of 126 hours in 2018.
According to GWR Official Adjudicator Swapnil Dangarikar, Shrusti’s dance marathon which she performed in her college auditorium, was “jam-packed with supporters.”
“There were moments of her being too tired, but her parents were by her side all the time, spraying her face with water to keep her fresh,” Swapnil said. “Very impressive performance overall.”
Shrusti began her attempt on the morning of May 29 and continued until the afternoon of June 3, Guinness World Records reported.
After her historic achievement, Srushti slept for an entire day.
Shrusti chose to break the record by performing Kathak, a recognised Indian classical dance ensuring reasonable standard and foot movement, to represent her country through dance.
“I wanted to promote our Indian culture,” she explained.
Shrusti trained for 15 months using Yoga Nidra, a guided meditation technique, taught by her grandfather, to activate delta brainwaves, promoting deep sleep and restoring the body. She practised four hours of meditation, six hours of dance, and three hours of exercise daily, aiming for five hours of sleep per night.
The newest world record-holder had already performed two 126-hour dance marathons at home, preparing for her official attempt without stimulants, and consumed coconut water and chocolate to stay fresh.
The final day of Shrusti’s record attempt was particularly hard for her. “My body was not responding,” she said.
“All my body parts felt frozen and in pain. But mentally, I was focused on my goal. Due to strong practice, I was familiar with all the changes in my mind and body, so I was calm and composed until the end,” she added.
Participants in such marathons receive five-minute rest breaks for every hour of activity, as per ‘longest marathon’ records. Shrusti took most rest breaks at midnight, napping or talking with her parents for brain refreshment. She credits her parents for her support.
“I feel proud that I could give this great achievement to our country,” Shrusti said.
