Stepping out to survive

And at 35, Shiamak8217;s anger has reached a boiling point. He is fed up with his art being seen as everything but art. Compared to Indian dance which is very symbolic, modern dance is abstract and aptly described by Paul Taylor as, quot;Something like moving poetryquot;. The difference also comes in the costumes. The Indian dancers remain wrapped up in yards of brocade and heavy make-up but modern dancers can get very experimental with what they wear on stage. From minimalist Japanese costumes to body stockings to shreds of chiffon, dress is as much a form of expression as the movements. And this experimenting is probably the essence of modern dance. And of late, Shiamak has been performing less and less of this modern dance he loves so much.

Though the shows are still called Shiamak8217;s shows and he still choreographs and is present at each and every rehearsal, he hardly ever gives solo performances anymore. Most of the time, Shiamak prefers to let his students dominate the show to bring new talent forward. And now, he wants to move further behind the wings as far as dance is concerned. quot;If I remain stuck in my groove, people will just say I am an old man doing modern dance,quot; he says. In a big step for him, he is choreographing Yash Chopra8217;s next movie.

Shah Rukh Khan, whose wife Gauri is one of Shiamak8217;s students, talked him into it. quot;All this while I too was snooty about Hindi movies. But I had been given the wrong impression. But Shah Rukh sat and explained things to me,quot; he says. Now Shiamak is quite excited about the movie though he is very tight-lipped about his work as he is not supposed to talk about it. Predictably he is all gaga over Yash Chopra, quot;Yash Uncle has really looked after me. He is my god father in the industry.quot;

But Shiamak is keen to break the shackles of his old image in all aspects of his life. At Gilford, as a student, he was rated as an actor-singer first, and then a dancer. A decade later, he wants to fit that tag. His first album, which was in English, Survive, could not live up to its name. Not one to give up easily, he8217;s back 8212; having succumbed to the tidal wave of Hindi pop. Shiamak8217;s next album, which will be released in October, Mohabbat Karle, is as the title suggests in Hindi. quot;My music is just entertainment. I am not into the natak of spreading messages and arousing the masses,quot; he says bluntly. As for acting, he is auditioning for Deepa Mehta8217;s Earth which is second in the trilogy of Fire, Earth and Water. Shiamak is trying out for a part of a young husband. He also wants to do some theatre. But dance remains his first love. quot;I won8217;t stop dancing. It8217;s what I do best. I8217;ll only be doing it less, that8217;s it,quot; he says. Shiamak Davar and his troupe will perform at St Andrews on May 17, 1997. Time: 7.45 pm.