How SIPs helped this dancer fund his dreams in Florence

In Delhi’s cultural heartland, tucked between the chaos of Mandi House and the stillness of Kamani Auditorium, lived Maitreya. A man of mudras and discipline, pirouettes and precision. He taught Odissi with the solemnity of a Sanskrit shloka, and rehearsed like a man possessed. Not for applause, but for an idea — that art, real art, must be lived, not performed.

But artistry doesn’t pay on time. Some months, Maitreya managed to cobble together a modest living through workshops, a stray corporate choreography, or the odd commission from a cultural institution that still believed in paying artists on time; other months passed in a disturbing silence broken only by reminders of pending invoices and polite emails that spoke of future collaborations but meant, in essence, nothing. There was no salary slip to count on, no provident fund ticking quietly in the background.

It was one of those relentless Delhi summers where even the peepul trees curl inward and rickshaw drivers stop smiling. That summer, Maitreya found himself exhausted, not physically, but artistically. And just then, he received a call from a senior guru, urgently needing someone to step in and conduct a four-day Odissi workshop in Florence. The pay barely covered airfare, but Maitreya said yes. Not for the money. For the chance to breathe a different air. To move through a different light.

It was intended to be a short break from the humdrum. And after the workshop, he stayed on for a few days, wandering through sunlit piazzas and dust-laced museums. What started as casual sightseeing soon felt personal, as though the city itself had quietly opened its arms to him.

One late afternoon, he reached a quiet university courtyard where, to his surprise, young dancers moved with focus. It was a conservatory for the performing arts, set within a historic sandstone building. He watched as ballet met flamenco in one hall, while in another, a student stood poised mid-tribhanga, her ghungroos echoing softly against Italian stone. Yes, it was Odissi. On Italian soil.

That was the moment. He didn’t need to think about it. This was where he needed to be. And not just as a visitor, but as a student, as a practitioner. As someone who wanted to evolve beyond the confines of what Delhi had taught him.

But there was one problem. This dream came with tuition invoices in euros, not ragas.

And so Maitreya returned to Delhi with a quiet fire in his heart. Instead of feeling defeated by what he had seen, he felt inspired by it. And this time, his commitment to dance extended beyond rehearsal halls and into his finances.

The SIP magic

He began his financial journey with Value Research online. Using the Portfolio tool, he set up his investments with a name that made him smile every time he saw it — “Italy Fund — no touchy” — and began small but regular SIPs, just as consistent as his morning practice sessions.

Week after week, month after month, he checked in. He analysed his holdings, made adjustments, and kept an eye on how far he had come. Slowly, he began to notice something changing. His money started moving upwards, with rhythm and direction, like a well-rehearsed performance.

The mutual funds stayed steady, even elegant. The stocks occasionally wobbled, but he learnt how to steady the act. The Portfolio Analysis tab became his mirror — honest, clear, and essential.

He didn’t come from wealth, nor did he wait for someone to sponsor his dream. What he had was consistency, a system, and a goal that never left his mind.

Two years later, he stood once again before the conservatory gates in Florence — only this time, he entered with admission papers in hand and a sense of accomplishment that needed no announcement. He was no longer a wistful tourist, but a registered student. This time, he felt he belonged there.

Some might say it was destiny. Others might call it strategy.

But for Maitreya, it was a perfect combination of both. It was the discipline of investing paired with the passion he had for his art.

This was his Sonal Mansingh moment: a resolute, yet graceful refusal to abandon a dream, no matter how distant it seemed.

From ghungroos to growth funds, he had made the journey — one SIP at a time.

So the next time someone says artists aren’t good with money, just share his story with them. Because sometimes, all it takes is the right guidance and the right tune.

And the rest, as they say, is choreography.

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This article was originally published on June 13, 2025.