Big Dancing the Way.

In conversation with Atul Jindal, Director of Big Dance who shares his triumphant journey as a dancer with Dance2Konnect. Known for his choreography for Blue Eyes, he has never denied his feet the chance at bigger steps. He believes in endless erudition and expression. Giving an ode to dancers, Mr Jindal gets candid, and these are the transcripts -

From dancing as a hobby to dancing for a living, how have you worked your way up? Where did it all begin?

It all started in college, but mostly just as a hobby. With creative ideas for life, it is very hard to find the right track. Karan and I started working in college and began to win competitions. We got selected in a Delhi based company called ‘Sadhya’ where Santosh Sir was our splendid teacher.
There was no specific motivation, but if we figured that if we do something that we love, and it becomes a part of our profession, we do not have any Monday blues! It is just dancing and living every moment. We started and worked harder everyday with the drive to get better every day. We never mapped out our future, but opportunities kept coming, and we used them to the fullest. We burned the candle at both ends to get where we are today.

What was the turning point of your career?

In terms of the industry, it was definitely the song ‘Blue Eyes’ by YO YO Honey Singh.
One day, I was driving my car when I received a call from Honey Singh to choreograph a music video for him. I knew him as a fan, but never personally. Initially, I thought it was a prank call. I couldn’t believe that it was actually Honey Singh who was calling me! I pulled my car over instantaneously and I told him that I am not convinced that it is actually him. He asked me to send my Email ID to him and he sent me the unreleased audio track for ‘Blue Eyes’. I heard it and realized they were the real vocals, and that it is the actuality! He asked me as to when we were beginning practice, and I said ‘Let’s start tomorrow’. That was it.
Blue Eyes was my big break and it has around 75 million views on YouTube today.

Since you are a part of so many groups, there must be some people who have always been with you through the entire journey.

Yes, there have been people and they are still there with us. I believe that people don’t ever really leave us when they move away. Everybody has to grow. Sandy, Karthik, Manisha, Shrey, and MJ5 were our students and we are still friends.
I like studios, students, teaching people, and being with people. We try to focus on opening schools that facilitate education in the field of dance and help pass on the experience of various veteran dancers. I believe it is important to pass on our knowledge from one generation to the next, and it will continue to build up. The ladder only leads up.
It is not just important to become a star but also to pass on to the younger generations. All the experience and knowledge one gains with time should always be passed on to help India become a dancing country, always on its toes.
It has been 8 years since the company began and in the past couple years, dancing has gotten way bigger and better. It has grooved into everyone's lives.
For the up-and-coming dancers in India, how important is it to go abroad or be a part of reality shows?
Going abroad is not important but it has become a necessity; it is an important part of training. In India, there is a lack of schools and structures. Different schools of dance specialize in teaching different forms of dance, and a dancer should gain understanding of them all. They should master in one field but should have an experience of all dance forms. Every form of dance has its own exclusiveness, for example – urban hip hop has strength, and contemporary is bearer to newer techniques. Going abroad provides more exposure to a dancer.
Yes, it is also true that reality shows certainly give a push to dancers. India is after all a ‘TV country’. I believe one should be a part of reality shows not to become a star, but instead to showcase their talent and let the people make them stars.

People say being a dancer is very different from being a teacher. How is it different for you from when you were learning to now when you are teaching?

Every good dancer is not a good teacher, for instance, a student wouldn’t score a 90 in maths just because the teacher scores a 90 in maths. Teaching is a herculean task, it is a massive responsibility. I worked with teachers who had a strong dancing background and experience which is key to becoming an admirable teacher.
It is not necessary for a dancer to become a teacher. A dancer can be a performer, or just keep learning for as long as they like. Anything that allows one to do what they love. They can have the spotlights on their pirouttes or hold the fort down backstage.

Do you wish to specialize in only one form of dance or be a versatile dancer?

I want to be a versatile dancer, like not know everything but not only rest my feet on one.
Recently, I spent 6 months in Los Angeles. I have graduated from New York Broadway where contemporary was my main subject. Though we spent most of our time practicing contemporary, we would take a couple hours or more and engage in different styles. It allowed us to have a mental break, learn a wider variety of dance styles, meet new people, and be introduced to different kinds of costumes. Different styles expose one to a grander atmosphere of dance.
I believe that one should master in one dance form, but should keep learning. If I teach five classes in a day, I learn from ten other. I always keep working. It is important for a dancer to keep training themselves and drain their body. Ultimately, the road never ends for dancers, they can fly away.
I always tell my students to remain a student and never stop learning. If you ever stop learning, even when you are 50 or 60 years old, you stop growing.
The world is evolving, technology is expanding, and it is time that dancing take the main stage. It is time the moves are set free.
Thank you.
‪#‎d2kdiaries‬

Wherever My Dance Leads Me – D2K Diaries

“My journey began at an orphanage where Terence Lewis would come and teach the kids to glide on
their feet. After primary school, I moved to Goa for secondary school when my brother received a
phone call from Terence Lewis informing him about the Dance India Dance Little Champs
competition. Wings on my feet, and desire in my heart, I left my exams, hopped on a train and
reached the auditions. I went from being just a contestant to becoming a finalist on the show. This
journey introduced me to the working of the entertainment industry. This experience brought to
light the current disparity between culture and industry.
After DID, I returned to Goa to complete my studies where I found out that the world
was full of raw and hidden talent whose salt was yet to find its worth. I spent 2 years meeting
people of all and sundry to unearth their imaginings and conditions. I found many people with the
ardour to dance but not enough armour.

I decided to work on myself and polish my skills. I hence became a part of the I Am Hip Hop crew for a year. I got the chance to represent India at the Hip Hop International which, till date, makes me
gleam with joy and makes my chest swell up with pride. I got the chance to meet new crews and get
acquainted with new age techniques.
I feel it is important for a dancer to have adequate skill and knowledge about dance. People should
expand their understanding of dance and fearlessly follow their dreams."

Dance is not at the cost of printed paper, but choice. It comes, not as a challenge, as an opportunity.
It helps, not as a goldmine but as a treasure. Dance is not for the mint, not for the sweat, not for the
eyes, it is for the excitement, the rush, the life, and the journey to self.

D2K Diaries

"The feeling of improvement keeps me alive,
Till date, I myself am not aware of how dance has such a close connection with my life. Dance is a part of every festival and family function in India, and my journey of dancing started through the festival of teej, when I used to admire and impersonate my friends, especially Anjali, whom I felt really happy dancing along with. Performing in family functions was just the first step. My drive for dancing did not stop there, and I started training in classical dance forms as well. After watching myself in the videos where I performed, Even 1% of improvement made me want to move on ahead. All the friends of my age stopped training after a while, but I never could have let go of this connection, I used to learn in a class along with children, and today I got to teach them in a workshop as well. But even when I was a teacher, I thought that there could be no better opportunity to improve myself,and I felt just like another student, who was looking to learn from the kids"

Our very first production.

Dance Therapy

We present you the video coverage of our FREE DANCE THERAPY @ Hope and Care Endocrine Centre. Hope you like it.

Dance/movement therapy is:

• Focused on movement behavior as it emerges in the therapeutic relationship.  Expressive, communicative, and adaptive behaviors are all considered for group and individual treatment.  Body movement, as the core component of dance, simultaneously provides the means of assessment and the mode of intervention for dance/movement therapy.
• Is practiced in mental health, rehabilitation, medical, educational and forensic settings, and in nursing homes, day care centers, disease prevention, health promotion programs and in private practice.
• Is effective for individuals with developmental, medical, social, physical and psychological impairments.
• Is used with people of all ages, races and ethnic backgrounds in individual, couples, family and group therapy formats.

Teaching / Sharing DANCE ? - EAT MARZIPAN

Learn dance. Get better. Start teaching.

That's the usual trend. It almost seems that teaching a class is the next step in the natural progression of a dancer.

Well, it's NOT.

Teaching dance is not a resume filler nor is it a requirement to be a good dancer. Teaching requires a separate skill set that is augmented by your skills as a dancer.

The responsibility of being a teacher should be held sacred; you are responsible for imparting knowledge that may inspire generations, or you may end up crippling the art form.

If you have the passion to teach, you want to contribute to the culture and its people, preserving knowledge and pushing boundaries. You do it for others and for the artform, NOT for yourself. NOT because it makes you feel like a more important person or having a status.

And you should most most most not definitely do it for the money. If you need money, there are a thousand other ways to achieve that.

Failure to realise this results in a scene where young teachers are undercutting the market, random names popping out of nowhere and disappearing equally as fast. People burning themselves out because they are not doing what they want. And worst of all, teachers who do not even realise they do not actually want to be teachers.

If you really have the passion to teach, you would, even if it was for free. You will then find ways to get paid doing that.

Find the INTENTION of teaching, not the ATTENTION.1

So nows nows the next BIG question:

How do I know if I'm good enough to teach?

Everyone has to start from somewhere right?

Yes, that's true, great teachers are not created overnight, they too have to go through a learning and discovery process to solidify their understanding of their craft and pedagogy.

The thing is, you don't have to be good, you just need to have the drive to want to teach BETTER. You spend your time thinking of ways to teach concepts and philosophies. You constantly try to elevate your choreography and give meaning to people coming to experience it. You spend more time on improving others than yourself. You are committed to being a teacher, not a dancer first.

Studios, please support your new teachers with advice and guidance on how to teach. New teachers please get advice and help to work on improving your pedagogy!

Now, what if I don't want to be a teacher but I still want to contribute? Then SHARE.

Sharing is giving opinions, ideas and instructions in a non intrusive manner. Anyone can share anything, whether good or bad. It just takes a lot more filtering and understanding to be able to tell what's a good share and a negative one.

Teaching VS Sharing:

When you teach you are telling someone to do something

When you share you are telling someone that they can do something

When you teach you are responsible for their growth

When you share it doesn't matter if they grow or not

When you teach you have a long term plan

When you share, you focus on single topics

Try to find the differences and learn to understand your priorities.

Dancer. Performer. Choreographer. Teacher.

These are all different responsibilities and paths. Know what you want, if not, do some soul searching. You need the answer to that more than just doing it.

With that, let's create a community with people doing the things they are passionate about, and in the right priorities.

For all aspiring and passionate teachers out there, thank you for all your contributions and inspiration.

If you are new to teaching, may the years give you wisdom and experience. For the seasoned and veterans, keep yourself rooted yet current.

Go forth and teach..... Or.... Just DANCE

Bollywood Dance : Performance

In the strict sense the term "Bollywood" refers to the Hindi culture, art, and film industry from Bombay.  The other film centres of South Asia are often referred to by their own designations (e.g., Lollywood (Lahore), Tollywood (Andhra Pradesh)).  However since the Bombay Hindi film industry dwarfs the other productions centres, the term "Bollywood" is generally extended to mean the entire South Asian film culture.
The international appeal of Bollywood dancing is something that has been many decades in the making.  Originally it was found only in places that had a significant consumption of Indian films (i.e., Former Soviet Union, and the Middle East).  But a few years ago it started to become chic in Europe, and today it is rising in popularity in the US, and Canada. Bollywood dance may be seen as being on the ascendency in the world markets.  Much of this is due to the ever expanding Indian diaspora, but a significant proportion comes from non-Indians who for whatever reason, are taken by the exotic, larger than life qualities inherent in it.