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International Dance Day! Lauren Gottlieb: Dance is my longest love affair
Dancer-actor Lauren Gottlieb has made a home for herself in India. For her, the essence of life is simple; her dance
On International Dance Day, Lauren confesses that the “soul” of dance in India differs profoundly from the Western industry where she started. She shares, “From the moment I first came here, I found the soul in my dance that had been long missing.”
Naming Bharatanatyam as her favourite Indian dance form, she shares, “The connection is so powerful that I keep going back to Indian classical dances, and we even perform on Indian music back home. Many there don’t understand the music and the dance forms, but they feel it, and that says everything.”
Having worked with stalwarts like Rihanna, Tom Cruise and Prabhudeva, Lauren says the key for performers is to “never chase shortcuts.” She shares, “Longevity comes from discipline and training, the ability to perform instinctively in front of thousands comes over the years of building the craft.”
On her connect with Bollywood, she says: “Bollywood made me an expressive dancer. The dance here is surely more emotive, and deeply connected to storytelling through both body and mind.”
On making it to the big screen, she says the key for dancers and performers is to cut through the noise of the digital age: “Since the day I joined the industry I never chased shortcuts followed constant learning. Longevity comes from discipline and training, the ability to perform instinctively in front of thousands comes over the years of building the craft.”
Finally, Lauren finds her peace amidst the chaos in dance. “Dance itself is my zen, it’s my spiritual connection, and Tobias (Jones-husband) too agrees that I am most happy and stress-free when my dancing shoes are on. It teaches you belief, when every movement has intention, and nothing is throwaway.”
