International Dance Day is a global celebration of dance that is a form of expression irrespective of language barriers. April 29 happens to be the birth anniversary of Jean-Georges Noverre, the creator of modern ballet. DC got in touch with some well-known choreographers to know what this day means to them, their earliest memories of dancing, how they think dance has evolved over the years and more.
We spoke to Ashley Lobo who has choreographed in movies like Rockstar and Guzarish on his quest with dance. “I started dancing at a very young age since I belong to a Catholic family but my performance dancing started only when my mother, who was a theatre director, asked a choreographer to give me dance lessons and that’s how I started. Then I got picked up by another choreographer and another, and that’s how I forayed into performance dancing”, says Ashley.
Speaking about International Dance Day, he says: “Dance is about no particular language, dance is about connecting soul to soul, to the audience and to music. So, International Dance Day is a day where we celebrate the true meaning of dance, that we are all connected.”
We asked him how dance and choreography has changed over the years. “I think it has got a lot more sophisticated over the years, in some places it has its ups and its downs. I don’t know if we’ll find classic choreographers like Saroj Khan again. Her genre of dancing is very hard to recreate. But having said that, we are also widening, we are going more to the international space, and we are expanding to other areas”, he explains.
Ashley’s favourite dance movie is ‘All That Jazz’directed by Bob Fosse, the reason being “minimal choreography”. “He barely moves his body but the movement itself is so strong. It’s like a Govinda, he too moves minimal but you can feel the dance completely”, says Ashley.
Terence Lewis
Terence Lewis, who has choreographed songs in the film Lagaan and also judged famous dance reality shows, says “Dance is a part of human life”. At six, he took part in a dance competition which he won and there was no looking back after that. He got instantly addicted to stage.
Talking about the day he says, “Not everybody can become a dancer but everybody should dance because there is a certain joy that you get from dancing and you can liberate your energies. It’s a great stress buster and a mood lifter. And that is what makes it so special”, states Terence.
The choreographer feels that the quality of dance has evolved over the years but the use of shortcuts and technology in modern day choreography is depriving dance of its real essence.Chicago, Cabaret and Street Dance being his favourite dance movies, he reveals he would like to choreograph Madhuri Dixit one day.
Melvin Louis
Melvin Louis who made a mark with introducing his own style of dancing has this to say about the day— “I think it’s awesome that we have a day like the International Dance day to celebrate but I think what people don’t understand is that it sounds wrong, it sounds like the day is only for dancers. It should be for everybody. Anyone can celebrate the day by dancing as a form of exercise.”
Inspired by the film Muqabla at the age of 7, Melvin’s favourite job is to choreograph a new song every day. “It keeps me going every day; it’s the only constant that makes me whatever I am today”, says Melvin.
Talking about how people look at dance differently now than before, Melvin says: “I think it has evolved; it has got a lot of acceptance from people in our society. People have become more conscious about their health and are now opting for dance as their favourite cardio routine.” Dance lovers can watch Step Up on Sunday, 29th April 2018 at 10:45 AM only on Sony PIX.
Chennai has a strong base for western styles
Studio for Dance is one such dance school in Chennai that has contributed to the successful development in the dance field for the past 15 years. In April 2003, Jeethandra and Nisha started Studio for Dance with the aim to create a platform for young dancers to put forth their views through expression, movements and body language. All of this is done through meticulous training to adapt to various styles.
Although the studio focuses on Modern dance, Contemporary and forms of Jazz, it is also popular for Bollywood, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Hip-Hop.
The studio trains its dancers in flexibility and technique to build a strong foundation. Every year, Studio for Dance conducts a programme for its students to showcase their talents on stage. The highlights of their previous performances include adaptations of Broadway musicals like Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Arabian Nights. The audience also enjoyed swaying to old tunes in one of the shows as they were taken through 100 years of Bollywood cinema. Every year Studio for Dance holds a dance summer camp which is received with much enthusiasm. The camps ensure the students learn a complete routine in a particular style of dance. Their third and fourth batches of summer camp will begin from the first and second week of May respectively. For more details Contact: 24987566
