SHALL WE DANCE ?

With Latin and Ballroom dancing becoming more and more popular, the national pastime in India maybe moving from being just an entertainment to something more substantial – Talented young professionals and choreographers catering to this massive sway, ushering in a new dance culture as I see. Here's my latest story on the changes taking place.

Amidst thunderous applause, Irfan Khan the tireless choreographer who spent every waking hour perfecting faltering steps, heaved a sigh of relief. The ovation was as much for the hundred odd students, in various age groups, performing in the dance fest ‘Hypnotize’at Navi Mumbai, as their instructors. This year, among other things they had to deal with the swine flu panic which nearly threatened to stall the show. If safety was the issue the founder of Firoz Sheikh Dance Academy, FSDA, left no stones unturned. “This was not about money but the effort of the participants who had been eagerly waiting to showcase their talent on stage, Firoz said.” Their success meant everything to him and he was prepared to go on a limb to see that big smile of achievement on their face.

In the sea of dancing talents India boasts today Firoz Sheik or Irfan Khan may not be big names. But they represent a growing number of young professionals dedicated to taking dance as an art form to greater heights. They are also the struggling epitome of the continuously evolving modern dancing styles looking for a serious audience to appreciate them.

In India the popularity of modern dancing and its trends had been forever linked to hit movies. In the last few years the contemporary dance fever has taken a new dimension with the intrusion of the reality shows . Sheetal Kharka , founder and managing director of the Innocent Heroes Foundation (IHF), Pune, a Kathak dancer herself has found dance an extremely meaningful medium to empower the under privileged children she works with.

She has recently launched an endeavor to spread the message SAVE WATER through a unique dance ballet - where she combines classical Kathak with contemporary dance. Is classical dancing dying out then? Sheetal feels the younger generation is naturally attuned to the evolving styles due their exposure to TV. They learn new styles effortlessly and enjoy them immensely.

Courtesy shows like Nacch Baliye and Jahalk Dikhlaja, Salsa has become very popular. There maybe other dances like Cha Cha Cha, Tango and Lambada but they are not in the limelight yet. Bayboying and Popping and Locking are again styles that have made a come back in recent times with the Dance India Dance show.
The reality shows have also managed to capture every middle class dream. Stage dancing is a common craving today. Thanks to the mother’s special introduced by Boogies Woogie, it is not restricted to children or young people anymore. While the younger lot prefers contemporary styles, grown-ups and moms learn Ballroom and Latino styles and also some Bollywood dancing.

Mumbai in particular as the Mecca of all dance forms has therefore seen a large number of dance classes mushrooming overnight. Augustine, from Navi Mumbai who has been in this profession for more than a decade observes how dancing has caught on like wild fire in the last few years. “Now the middling group of 35 to 50 is equally interested”. And they are from all walks of life. Even businessmen take out time from their busy schedule to shake a leg. “It is a great weight buster for most and an anti depressant. Anyone interested in exercising is also looking at dance as a favored medium instead of the boring treadmill,” according to Augustine.

Notwithstanding this popularity the Indian attitude towards western or folk dance, is largely casual laments serious danseurs like Sandip Soparrkar. If Shaimak made Jazz popular and Terence Louis introduced modern contemporary dance in India, Soparrkar has been credited with keeping the classic Latin and ballroom dance scene alive in India and taking it to the mass. While he appreciates the fact that TV shows have made people realize dance can be more than a hobby or the fact it is never too late to dance, Indians are lagging behind in seriousness, dedication and the certified training needed to take it a notch higher.

The dancing trend is largely stuck in a groove existing for its entertainment value. Parties, fests and marriages are the usual dancing grounds where it never goes beyond hip swaying. It is the disco joints that get to see some talent at times, where serious dancers often lock horns in dance offs.

Ballroom and Latin Dances deserves more serious attention than that according to Soparrkar. For a layman Salsa is about ‘lifts and drops,’ throwing the woman in the air and a special chemistry of close dancing. These two categories however fall into the gamut of competitive dancing that take place worldwide at different levels. Sometimes referred to as Dance Sport, they allow participation by less advanced dancers at various proficiency levels and is recognized by no less than the International Olympics Committee. India has only very recently moved into this competitive bracket. This being the third consecutive year it is sending its entry for the indoor Asian Games. As the official trainer for the AIDSF (Al India Dance Sport Federation) Soparrkar feels dancing in India will achieve a new dimension if India with its immense talent recognizes it as a serious sport.

Fledgling instructors like Firoz agree with this. His dance academy may not be the only one in Navi Mumbai, it is however the first and one of its kind to set a serious tone to the dance mania that sets this country pulsating for little or no reason at all. An aesthetically designed, centrally air-conditioned personalized space with wall to wall mirrors takes some investment but Firoz wasn’t worried about the costs of setting up a studio. His aim was to set a certain standard in dancing even as a hobby/profession. Like him, Shruti Tulpule an ace biotech student who recently made it big in the Sony TV’s reality show ‘Entertainment ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega’ has taken up the gauntlet “to ensure dancing as a profession achieves the respectability it deserves”.

The Oscar studio was perhaps the first to set a trend followed by Saroj Khan and Ganesh Achharya. Sandip Soparrkar, Terence Louis, Remo, Prince, Shaimak, Rahul Saxena, each of them contributed to take this forward. In the newly developed Navi Mumbai the Ansar group, Bobby Khan, Augustine, Firoz Shruti, Irfan and others are providing succor to the budding talents…hopefully ushering in a more robust and competitive dance culture that India needs hereon.