Meet Deepa Kannan - Yale HR solutions architect and accomplished dancer

One of the newest members to join Yale’s Human Resources (HR) community is Deepa Kannan a solutions architect in Human Capital Management Systems. During her first HR town meeting, she shared a fun fact about herself that she is an accomplished dancer. Here, she tells the story of her journey of folk, Bollywood, and semi-classical dancing and how it has changed her life:

“Although I have never received formal training, I participated in several dance performances during high school and college. To me, dance was therapeutic, an avenue for growth, and a space for innovation. About a year after graduation, I moved to the U.S. When I had the opportunity to audition for a dance show way back in 2007, I was very hesitant to commit and ended up regretting that decision. However, when the opportunity came again in 2019, I didn’t hesitate, and started performing in several shows with a group of like-minded people.

This experience not only opened doors to new opportunities and allowed me to try different styles of dance, but also introduced me to some incredible women who have helped me evolve personally and professionally. More than the dance itself, I look forward to hanging out with my friends and dancing with them which brings me so much inner joy and peace.

Over the past four years, we have shown consistency and on April 1 we participated in a local dance competition placing first in our category. Looking back, I am so glad that I decided to dance again, and I wanted to share this story to encourage anyone who might be hesitant to take the first step. You never know what the journey might hold.”