Journalism of Courage
Fahad Ginwalla
Dancing has long been viewed as only a recreational activity in India but popular TV show Dance India Dance is out to change that perception by giving a strong message through Dance It Out,a panIndia multi-city movement,where the audience is required to vote and select a cause they feel strongly about.
Dance India Dance judge Feroz Khan and contestants Sumedh Mudgalkar from Pune and Juhi Arora from Noida were in the city on Tuesday to promote the movement. Speaking about it,Mudgalkar talked about how he faced obstacles while pursuing his passion for dancing and would like to change the mentality of people in the city. One man cannot change the thought process of people,but a movement can. When I first told my family that I want to dance,they were against it. But I persisted and cited examples of Dharmesh sir,who is now in a position to buy bungalows and cars by following his passion in dance, he said,adding,Today,I am on the same platform and I hope to achieve something so that a dancer can get the same respect that an actor gets in the society,as a performer.
On the other hand,Arora shared that she wants to raise the issue of domestic violence in the country through her dance performances. Domestic violence is an issue which is widespread,but people,especially women,tend to stay silent about it in order to save their marriages. Somehow through my dancing I want people to shed their inhibitions and speak up, she said. Dance It Out will start on December 5 in Pune.
