NAACH!

The only reason a cynic like Terence Lewis nodded to Zee’s yet another experiment with reality,Dance India Dance was that it had no celebrities. “Which pretty much translated to no tamasha because celebrity participants have neither time nor talent,” Lewis said hallelujah to this saving grace and jumped head-on into the show which has now reached the final week before the finale. In town with one of the four finalists (FYI: Prince is out this week) Jai Kumar Nair,choreographer and teacher Lewis first extends a big thank-you to Chandigarh. “Because Jai got the maximum number of votes from the northern region,especially Chandigarh,” he pats his best student’s back,one who’s a south Indian and was in danger zone for four weeks. Now that they are in the finals,it’s ‘sunheri taqdeer ki topi’ time,and Lewis is nervous about it. “The show is our baby because we’ve selected,composed,choreographed and come this far,and to see it go away in an audience emotional overflow will be a shame,” Lewis,apparently,is not a great fan of public poll. “Janta has little clue about dance…the rules,the techniques,the timing…they vote on the basis of looks,region,popularity,connections with the channel and emotional stories,” Lewis feels that somewhere,from the TV set to the TV box,something gets lost in transmission and translation. “That’s why I said ‘thank god no celebs’,for this show cuts out the dramarama,and focuses on just talent,” he says.

Into the field of dance for more than a decade,Lewis,a microbiology graduate and a hotel management professional,gave up his job at Hyatt to pursue his passion. “Dance for me is oxygen,like water is to fish,dance is to me,” he’s trained in kathak,among many other styles,and runs his contemporary dance academy in Mumbai. Scholarship holder in dance forms from the US and Europe,Lewis believes in roping in various elements of all styles,and present the Indian modern dance form. “It’s not pure American contemporary,or conceptual,intellectual European stance,neither is it jazz or ballet which are pure show-offs. My dance form,the Indian modern combines story and movement,it’s theatre in motion,” Lewis,interestingly,also weaves in yoga. “I’m a huge fan of yoga,and these days use Iyengar and Ashtanga yoga in my style,” he also adds a dash of Kalaripayattu,the warrior’s take and crumping which is an aggressive street dance form.

While Kathak and Bharatnatyam are limiting for Lewis,salsa in a country like India with its great divide between the sexes is an excuse for men and women to come close. “A classical base also does wonders. It lends grace,discipline and rhythm to the body,for without basic training and technique,a dancer looks awkward. But once we’ve learnt from the Gurus,we need to experiment more…like Birju Maharaj,” Lewis remembers his first teacher and critic who said,“you are the best of the worst. Learn,and look like a professional,not a wedding dancer.” He applies the same lesson at his academy and workshops worldwide,and interestingly,abraad,Kitsch bollywood is a huge hit. “They all want to learn Mardala or Mughal-e-Azam or Govinda style,” he tells us looking forward to his classes in Vienna. In the meantime,it’s choreography for What’s Your Rashee and Bhansali’s next with Hrithik and Aish. “Choreographing for films is no fun for you are caught between the cut and take,whereas the stage is free-flow.” As for the rising clan of women choreographers,he acknowledges Saroj Khan as the Queen,but adds,“sorry,but men make the best cooks,stylists,make-up artists and dancers for we borrow the best from women…the X and Y chromosome.” Still debatable,but do check out his X-factor in Shiva’s Tandav on DID on Zee.