Most of us remember that childhood moment when guests visited, and someone said, “Beta, ek dance karke dikhao.” You didn’t always want to — but you did it anyway.
Now imagine that same situation in a corporate office.
A Reddit user recently shared how their company was preparing for an upcoming client visit. Along with presentations, demos, and networking sessions, management had planned what they called a “fun engagement segment.”
The activities included solo dance performances, a fashion walk, and light entertainment to “impress the client” and showcase company culture.
The employee was asked to perform a solo dance.
They politely declined.
“I enjoy dancing, but that’s personal,” they wrote. “I dance because I like it — not to entertain clients in a professional setting.”
After refusing, they were asked if they could at least join the fashion walk. They declined that too, explaining that they were hired as a backend developer, not an event performer.
Their post ended with a question many Indian professionals quietly relate to:
Is refusing such activities seen negatively at work? Where do you draw the line between team spirit and personal boundaries?
Have a look at the post.
The Bigger Conversation
This story isn’t really about dancing. It’s about workplace expectations.
In many Indian offices, “optional” activities don’t always feel optional. There’s often an invisible pressure to participate, not because you want to, but because you don’t want to appear uncooperative.
And that’s where discomfort begins.
Team culture matters. Creating a warm environment for clients can matter too. But professionalism means different things to different people. For some, it includes informal performances and social participation. For others, it means focusing on the work they were hired to do.
Neither perspective is wrong – until one becomes an obligation.