Beat Masters

The floor was already warmed up when Boogie Woogie and its three dancing musketeers tapped away on Indian television almost a decade back.

The floor was already warmed up when Boogie Woogie and its three dancing musketeers tapped away on Indian television almost a decade back. From freestyle moves,suggestive pelvic thrusts and bhangra groove to Saturday night disco fever,street hip hop,jazz,salsa and contemporary fusion dance,since then,has come a long way. Thanks to several regional and national television dance shows,its become a favourite pastime in the city too. So much so that celebrity choreographers have pitched their tents here. Shiamak Davar Institute of Performing Arts in Sector 23 runs summer and winter workshops followed by performances for a fee of Rs 3,000 per workshop. Its run by Shiamaks teachers and anyone between the age of four and 60 can join in, says Atul Khanna of Durga Das Foundation and Principal,Strawberry Fields World School,Sector 26 and 23. With a professional or a celeb on board,it makes all the difference for they have a trained staff who knows the art of teaching every form, adds Khanna,who also roped in Joseph Nontanovan,a professional dancer from Los Angeles via SDIPA for a 10 day kids workshop at the school premises.

Be it USA or Europe or India,everybody wants to dance. If there is music,there will be dance, says Joseph,who is teaching the kids hip-hop. After acting in dance films like Step Up and choreographing American live shows like Mosaic,Jungle Book,Dont Copy That Too,I Connect,and The Wiz,this 30-year-old wants to travel and connect with people via dance.

While Joseph continues to rule the hip hop roost in the city,recently,Remo DSouza of Dance India Dance fame opened shop in Sector 20 of Panchkula. At Rs 2,000 a month,the studio has teachers trained by DSouza,who teaches various dance genres. We have a strength of 100 and counting, says Amit Uttam,dance instructor at the Institute. The courses vary from three to six month to two to three years. There are courses in jazz,pop,hip-hop,break dance,salsa,bollywood and contemporary. While Ill take classes once in a while,there will be dance instructors from Mumbai as well, says DSouza,who will also organise talent hunt shows and hold special classes for those from the economically weaker sections.

Although after a bitter experience,Masterji Saroj Khan has pulled out her brand name from a dance studio based in Sector 34,she says she will open her own venture in Chandigarh soon. Dance is the best form of exercise and I encourage everyone to be a part of it. One can say so much in one movement, she says,during training sessions for her new television show on Imagine,Nach Le Ve with Saroj and Terence Lewis . People have little clue about the rules,the techniques and the timing of dance. Because its a popular activity these days,we decided why not teach the basics first, adds Lewis. Trained in kathak,among many other styles,he runs his contemporary dance academy in Mumbai. There are distant plans of opening a school in Chandigarh,but only when he can assured of quality control.

For those who want to try out the steps with local celebs,theres the Rock n Roll dance studio in Sector 9 and Varun Dance Studio in Sector 6,Panchkula.

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