Dancing your way to success!

Gone are the days when a dancer and his or her profession was looked down upon. Today, it is considered a celebrated art form which has gained a much-respected position in society.

Watching a good dance performance is like magic. It enthralls you and you never want it to end. It mesmerises you and makes you sit up and take notice. Gone are the days when a dancer and his or her profession was looked down upon. Today, it is considered a celebrated art form which has gained a much-respected position in society.

A dancer is a complete performer, using all faculties to create a perfect composition, right from acting to expression, ideation and dancing, of course. A living example of this is Pandit Birju Maharaj, a leading exponent of the Lucknow Kalka-Bindadin gharana of Kathak dance in India, whose performance goes much beyond dance. It flows like poetry and has won him fans from around the world.

“Dance is such a beautiful career. If you love dancing you will never feel that you are working while you dance. A dancer is always blissful and serene. Dance tends to have that effect on you,” says Asavari Pawar, a renowned Kathak dancer.

Professional dancing demands immense talent, skill and dedication. “A lot of people think dancing is only about having fun, but this is not correct,” says Akanksha Sharma, who learnt dance at the Shiamak Davar Institute of Performing Arts. “You need to be dedicated and have a flair for dancing. There is a lot of theory and technicality involved in dancing. A professional dancer needs years of experience to be perfect.”

Fernando Aguilera and Mohammed Rafi, who run the Delhi-based India Fernando Ballet Company, agree. “Dance is a very intense profession. It makes use of every faculty you possess. It also requires a lot of patience. You need to work with your body, push it harder, while keeping in mind its limitations. A person who does not enjoy dancing can never become a dancer as it requires unlimited passion and discipline,” they say.

With new forms of dance gaining popularity in India, the opportunity to become a known face in this field has increased manifold. Mehar Malik, who teaches at Delhi’s Banjara School of Dance, is a professional belly dancer. On her arrival in India a few years ago, she found there was little or no scope for her art. “I was often clubbed with bar dancers and small-time entertainers who dance at parties. No one took my dance or me seriously,” she recalls. “I have come a long way from there and am proud of the fact that I have contributed to changing that mindset.”

Pawar reiterates the importance of hard work. “If one wants to go professional, one needs to put in at least six to eight hours of practice daily,” she says. “There is no short-cut to success or fame. Dedication is the key but there’s nothing to match the satisfaction you get once you give a flawless performance.”

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What's it about?
To Indians, dance as a profession has historically meant Kathak, Bharatnatyam and other forms of Indian classical dance. But with the advent and popularity of Western dance forms, primarily because of the likes of Shiamak Davar and Ashley Lobo, modern forms of dance have gained immense popularity among the youth.

More and more youngsters are attracted to dance forms like salsa, jazz, Western classical and hip hop

Clock Work
The average day of a budding professional dancer:
8 am: Do exercises or yoga to maintain fitness levels
Noon: Network. Call up contacts for assignments
1.30-2 pm: Lunch
3 pm: Go for rehearsals
9 pm: Call it a day, generally

(The work day can change depending upon scheduled performances that may run late into the night)

The Payoff
Initially, the payoff is usually very little with some professionals earning under
Rs 3,000 a month. Once you become a well-established name, your take-home pay can be Rs 3 lakh a month and above

Skills
. High level of fitness
. Agility
. Dedication
. Passion
. Diligence
. Discipline
. A sense of rhythm
. An ear for music

How do i get there?
You may be from any background but you should be talented and passionate about dancing. You need to familiarise yourself with different art forms and change with the time to ensure longevity of your career. Practice and only practice can mould you for a life as a professional dancer

Institutes & urls
. Shiamak Davar Institute of Performing Arts, at several locations
www.sidpa.com
. The Danceworx (Ashley Lobo), at several locations
www.thedanceworx.com
. India Fernando Ballet Company, New Delhi
www.ifbc.org.in
. Banaras Hindu University
www.bhu.ac.in
. Rabindra Bharati University Kolkata
www.rbu.ac.in
. Salsa India, at several locations
www.salsa-india.com

Pros & Cons
. The work is extremely satisfactory
. Fame... for excellent performers
. Work is fun.You do what you love
. Long practice hours
. Low pay initially
. Regular work difficult to come by

Be passionate to be good

The more time you give to your art the better you will be

What does one require to become a good dancer?
The most important thing for a dancer is to love what he or she does. The hours, however, are long and unpredictable and one has to be ready to make sacrifices initially.

Discipline is also very important as it is only through practice that you become good at any art form.

You have to take your work seriously — there is no scope for slackness as the competition is intense. There is no substitute for hard work.

You have to be passionate about dancing and work relentlessly towards attaining success. If you have these qualities, no one can stop you from becoming a good dancer.

What is the scope for dancers today?
If you are good, there is a lot of scope for you. Art is one field where there can never be saturation.

The ups and downs in a dancer’s career?
The good part is that one always feels happy and is on a natural high induced by the sheer pleasure dance gives you. The downside is that you have to be very disciplined and health-conscious. You also need a very understanding family.

How should a dancer adjust with the process of ageing?
One needs to accept the process of growing old and also the changes that it brings — both physical and mental.

Hema Malini is one Indian dancer who has always acted her age and has done so beautifully.

Asavari Pawar, Kathak dancer Interviewed by Mallica Joshi