I suffer from 'D' Virus

A recent development in my professional space got me into thinking of the glorified science of detachment. ‘Detachment’ a word that helps overcome a lot of shocks and surprises that life has in store for you. My office colleague has a simple way of putting things across the table that being “Yeh Sab MOH MAYA hai” and my classic human response to MOH MAYA is “easier said than DONE.”

In the world of dance and music however Detachment is a language in its own right. STACCATO (Italian for detachment) a form of musical articulation wherein a note of shortened duration is separated from the note followed on.  Lyrical Hip Hop is loosely inspired by the concept of Staccato. A dance beat separated from the main step to showcase a strong movement.

One name that came to my mind while writing about lyrical Hip Hop was Dharmesh Yelande famously known as D Sir. My earliest memories of him is his stint on DID (Dance India Dance) season 2. The show that earned him the name ‘D’. One of my favourite performances was his trio performance on the song Rasiya (Movie-Kurbaan). The most striking thing about his dance is indeed the Staccato. His unique ability to break the musical note and create an expression of its own is a delight to the eyes.

From a dance teacher in Vadodara to a national icon his journey is no less than a classic Bollywood masala film. 

D is the CHAMPION ;-)

I love Mumbai in the rains, so what better day could I ask for to meet D. A Saturday afternoon, Dharmesh at his casual best, rains playing the perfect background score, I finally caught the D Virus (wink)

Let us talk about the journey of ‘D’ (Dharmesh)?

I am a Maharashtrian born and brought up in Gujarat. In hindi we say ‘MAA KE PET SE SIKH KE AAYA HAI’, dance for me is something like that. I was not very good at studies so dance was the best resort (laughs). I was very fortunate to have a family that always supported my decision to pursue dance. So I actually started my journey with Bharatanatyam, however being from a modest background I could not afford the class fees. I then went on to meet my sir Krishna Rao who introduced me to free style and western dance forms (HIP HOP, LOCK & POP….). Few years down the lane I started my own dance class D- Virus. It was not enough to make the ends meet so I put up a Misal Paav stall alongside my father’s tea stall (it was a competition as to who made more money every day). I was so crazy about dance that when my mom asked me to pursue a job, I took one on the condition that it would get over before 6 so that I could pursue my dance classes. Opportunities kept knocking my door with my stint as a back ground dancer in Gujarati and Bhojpuri films. In 2008, I won the Boogie Woogie championship with the price money of 5 lacs. Never in my life before had I seen such a ransom. Then came Dance India Dance, unfortunately I could not participate in season 1 due to the age restriction (15-25 years). In Season 2 the age limit was increased (15-30 yrs.), being a huge fan of Remo Sir I pounced on the opportunity to participate this time and the rest is history…

How did acting happen?

In my childhood a fortune teller predicted that I would be in the showbiz. At that time, we all laughed it out kahan chote sheher ka chokra hero banega (how would a small town boy be a star). Post DID Remo sir has once called us ( Puneet, Salman, Prince...) to his place. Siddharth Roy Kapoor from Disney UTV was there and Remo sir announced these kids are the stars of my movie (ABCD- anybody can dance). It was a huge risk as apart from Prabhu Deva none of us were actors. But the movie was a hit and then came the second installment ABCD 2 which was a huger hit.

From a contestant(mentee) in DID (Dance India Dance- Season 2) to a mentor in Dance plus what has the transition been like? 

You know as a child it was my dream to be a background dancer, my dream sequence was me dancing behind a Bollywood superstar (laughs). Toh mujhe UMEED se DOOGNA mila hai (I have achieved more than I asked for…). To answer your question, in DID I had 3 amazing masters (Remo Sir, Geeta Ma & Terence Sir) guiding me through the season. Ever since I wanted to earn my spot on that judging chair. I would always observe their mannerisms and their outlook while judging any performance. Post DID I got the opportunity to mentor on DID little masters and my kid Jeetu Moni won the season. But I was still waiting for a larger podium. So when Dance+ came across I took up the job hands on… And we all know that V company from my team won the season. So ya the transition has been inspiring.

Apart from D style what is your favourite dance form?

I do not have one particular favourite as it keeps changing with the mood and music. But ROBOTICS is one dance form that stands out for me.

Tell us more about Banjo…

I was a judging Marathi reality show MAD (Manjhe Assal Dancer) when I met Ravi Jhadhav (director of BANJO). Later on he came to me with the script of BANJO. Banjo is a story of 4 friends who take their music from the chawls of Mumbai to New York. I play the character of GRESE the drummer. The film also stars Riteish Deshmukh and Nargis Fakri.

D the Actor or D the Dancer?

That’s a tough one because dance is my Soul and acting is my Life, can’t have one without the other (wink).

Words of Wisdom for your fans….

My motto in life is ‘JO HOTA HAI ACHE KE LIYE HOTA HAI.’ Whenever I meet young kids and contestants on dance shows I always tell them to keep going even if the way is tough. Be so good with your talent (Dance) that judges fight to have you in their team. I had Remo sir, Geeta ma and Terrence sir all vouching for me in DID. Let your talent speak for you, Winning or Losing won’t ever matter then……..

With Dance+ season 2 around the corner D virus is surely VIRAL (wink)……..

D Virus

Special mention, Happy Baheti and Ashish Baheti (photo credits).

One Man ARMY

SURESH MUKUND.

More than often I have observed that human mind has this unique quality of SHUT DOWN or the SWITCH OFF MODE when we do not understand or rather don’t want to understand the nuances of things we are not good at. As I have earlier mentioned in my blogs the dance forms that I have been trained in, bring out the more poised and structured side. And yet my favourite dance movies in the current era (Step Up Series, Save the Last Dance, Streets, etc) showcase the vibrant, boisterous & clearly the most difficult dance form for me (wink) “HIP HOP”. Hence I am always in the Switch Off mode while viewing this marvelous art as I will never be able to master it.

Hip hop or rather the various forms of street dancing (pop n lock, whacking, jabber walkie, krumping, etc) to me has always been a dance of Nomads…..(strictly my opinion). My heart skips a beat whenever I see well-co-ordinated dance groups performing incredible head stunts and flips. The movie ABCD2, second installment of the dance movie franchise (ABCD- Any Body Can Dance) was inspired by the journey of two ambitious hip hop dancers (Suresh Mukund & Vernon Monteiro) who dreamt of putting India on the world map of Hip Hop Championship.

Back in school one of my classmates ‘The Beauty with Brains’ chic, in her speech said a line ‘the word Impossible reinstates I M POSSIBLE.’ at our farewell party. She sure did win a lot of hearts that day and the coveted ‘Miss Convent’ title. Walking down the memory lane I remembered the afore mentioned as it clearly holds true for Suresh Mukund (the One Man Army).

Will the real Surru please Stand Up??? (wink.........)

Thanks to ABCD2 we all know the story of the Fictitious Group founded by Suresh and Vernon. Post the split from Vernon (Fictitious group) Suresh upped the ante’ by winning a bronze medal for India in his second innings at the World Hip Hop Championship 2015. The journey to the Bronze was tumultuous, exhausting and most importantly an inspiring one. In my research I came across this article wherein Suresh stated “My aim was to change the mindset of the people that Indians cannot create something on their own. I wanted to prove that we don't need to follow others, that we can set an example of our own by adding our own Indian flavour to the dance.  It was apna style.” Truly with ‘Apna style’ they won big and they won it in STYLE.

I decided to decode the new chapter in Suresh’s (SURRU- lovingly called) life. So I chose to visit his studio ‘Kings United Kingdom of Art’ and meet the MAN and in the trade-off learn some kickass moves. As I enter his studio, a huge standalone structure- enough to accommodate a 100 dancers at a time, I meet the enigmatic and very handsome(wink) SURRU.  My expectations: the man who has a successful Biopic made on him at such a young age would be a narcissist at some level but after spending time at his studio all I got to see was someone who is crazy enough take chances and passionate enough to believe in his vision.

My Gup Shup with SURRU.......

Tell me more about your win at the championship last year?

My breakup with Fictitious Group (Vernon) tarnished my image and left me feeling that I need to prove my stand. So my impulse decision was to participate at the World Hip Hop Championship. Every year India has three official entries at the Championship and last year the groups selected were 13.13, scorpions & i am hip hop. I tried my best to convince the selection committee to add our name in the list but luck was not supporting me then. Around a month and a half before the championship we got an intimation that 13.13 could not make it so we were the next best choice. We had a guest performance at Indians got talent and we prepared the act within one night so it inspired us to take up the challenge (Championship).

We did not have a place to rehearse so my father who belongs to the construction line helped us find a shed (rented) within 7 days. The place was inadequate but at least we had a place to rehearse. We only had 13-14 days prior to the championship and then the visa application struggle. Travelling to the place was a costly affair but thanks Varun Dhawan, he helped us find sponsorship (Ponds) and also funded our trip partly.

But the struggle was not over our flights got cancelled at the end moment. Somehow we managed to book new flights and reached the preliminary qualifiers just a day before the round whereas other teams had 3-4 days of practice time. That very year the competition location shifted from Las Vegas to San Diego which added to our accommodation costs. Lack of stage rehearsals and no clarity in act did mar our confidence a little but we made sure we rehearse the entire night before the prelims. The result was a crazy crowd uproar, standing ovation and a 3^rd place. What worked in our favour was that we did not ape the west instead we added an Indian touch to our routines. It was a big risk on my part but as they say ‘Higher the Risk Higher the Returns’.

 Semis was another task. Unfortunately, we made a lot of visible mistakes but I still had that lingering hope somewhere that we would make it to the final 8 just like our last outing. While the results were being announced I told my gang ‘Kya bharosa hum log unko (Brotherhood gang) bhi hara de’ (brotherhood gang were the defending champions in 2014) and that’s how it happened Brotherhood came in the 5^th position and we were in the 4^th position. A big confidence booster indeed.

THE FINAL CREW......

Before the finals one of my crew members (Pawan) fell terribly sick and a slight mistake in the final performance was the last thing going against us. At the final results announcement, we were trying to get a sneak peak of the flags chosen and finally we heard it INDIA wins the BRONZE medal. That memory is captured in my eyes even today.

ABCD2 ki adhoori kahani puri kar di.............

Post the achievement, I decided to create one of the largest hubs in India wherein anyone from any socio economic background can come and pursue their passion. We also thought of providing hostel facilities that would encourage kids from all parts of India to come here and just do what they do best Dance. That’s how KINGS UNITED KINGDOM OF ARTS came into existence.

What is the one thing you love apart from dancing?

Adventure Sports: I have done Sky Diving, Scuba Diving, Shark Diving, Flyboard and the list is long... it’s the sheer adrenaline rush and a sense of power that I experience while doing these things.

Is the handsome Suresh Mukund Married?

Yes (Heartbreak, Heartbreak L). I am married to my childhood sweetheart Pallavi. She has been my rock solid support system throughout.

Do you believe in Dance reality shows?

Yes,I am what I am because of reality shows. Had it not been for Boogie Woogie or India’s Got Talent we would not have the initial phase of visibility factor. The win at India’s Got Talent season 3 has been a game changer for us and there’s been no looking back ever since.

Why not appear in Dance plus?

I was more focused on the international championship as we had already gone through the Indian reality phase. And, as I mentioned earlier I wanted to complete the incomplete story of ABCD2.

The next big thing in Suruesh Mukunds Life?

Direction is the next way to go.

SURRU was generous enough to let me learn a few dance steps along with his energetic crew. Hip Hop not my strength, but I was fortunate enough to meet a man who like me understands the language of DANCE (although different styles).

He has indeed brought about a change in the lives of many budding artists through his humility, belief and the WILL to WIN…………….

The Dream Catcher..........

Subhash Viman Gorania.

The last time I wrote was about my journey as a dancer. Since then I have been toying with the idea of exploring the journeys of amazing artists across globe who have chosen dance as a medium to bring about a change and inspire young minds. Its taken more time to materialise the idea but as they say ‘Better late than Never’. I am fortunate enough to have Subhash as the first artist to encourage me in my pursuits……..

A budding artist from the UK, Subhash born in Gujarat (India) and brought up in Leicester (UK) was always born to dance. Not until 23, a graphic designer with a dream to work with Disney did Subhash realise that his true passion lies in Dance. When I asked him how did it all start his casual response was ‘One fine day Dance just happened.’ In his formative years as a beginner Subhash was highly influenced by Hip-Hop and Contemporary/Modern Contemporary dance forms. It was only later when he was introduced to the Indian classical forms namely Bharatanatyam and Kathak. Rigorous training in Indian classical dance under acclaimed guru’s, Bharatanayam from Chitraleka Bolar and Chhaya Kanavate and Kathak from Nilima Devi MBE and Asha Joglekar, have added panache to his dance skills.

In my research I came across a beautiful dance piece Immersion by Subhash. What inspired me the most was the description of the piece. It said ‘In the testing times that we live in, there are many external factors that are basis for countless human emotions. Weather our lives are simple or complex, it is emotion that drives us all.’ The demonstration of anger, anxiety, love, hatred and numerous other human emotions through music and dance is ever enticing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_9e89w-TUo

Top five with Subhash J

What inspired you to take up dance as your profession?

Nothing (laughs). In my growing up years I was bullied a lot and one particular incident  left me hospitalised for a month. It later encouraged me to leave university studies and pursue graphic designing instead, I simultaneously joined a dance academy. That’s when the transition happened. Dance has since then been my love and my life.

Who is your role model?

I do not have any role models per say but I would like to work in collaboration with Hofesh Shechter (a renouned dancer choreographer from Isreal). Amazing talent…

What is your daily routine?

I start early usually with a jog and then heavy breakfast. We start training at around 10 am and go on till 6pm or even later depending on the production schedules.

Your favourite movie star?

I am a huge comic books fan (although don’t get much time to read them now). I have grown up watching X-Men, Avengers, Spider Man, etc so you could say fantasy is my personal favorite jondre. In Bollywood I would say Shahrukh Khan is one person I look up to.

Talk more about your next dance piece?

My current project is a triple bill solo. Its sponsored by the Arts Council England. Its consists of three solos wherein I have collaborated with three different contemporary choreographers. The first one is called

1.Morphed: A collaboration with Bangalore contemporary choreographer Veena Basavarajiah. It talks about prejudice and misconceptions that rule human behaviour manifested through the emulation of Indian male dieties.

2. Fly from: A collaboration with contemporary choreographer Saju Hari. The piece is a metopher to ‘All that glitters is not Gold’. It talks about the vicious life cycle where in we have reached the Iron Age (technology) that enhances life but at the same time it is the reason for destruction.

3.The final one is called ‘Three’: Death is the inevitable truth. This piece talks about the journey of a mortal being from birth to the nonexistence. It captures the essence of life and what you leave behind when you fade away in the darkness of death.(The piece ends with me and a single light bulb defining mortality)

Interesting fact is that Subhash happens to be my brother-in-law. Well what can I say Tanvi(sister) ‘One hell of a choice;-)’. Tanvi has given him a dance name ‘SHIV’. True to its origins Subhash does emulate Lord Shiva (the lord of Love, Natya and Nritya: Natraj). It is always good to meet people who share the same passion as you do. Subhash has a bright future ahead of him and I hope someday I do get to perform live with him.

Mansi Nagda.

The Journey

When I decided to start my blog I was told to write about something I am really passionate about. The answer was simple- ‘DANCE’. So here I am sharing my experiences about this art that defines my existence. A banker by profession and a dancer by passion my journey began at the tender age of 4 when my parents decided to enroll me into BHARATNATYAM dance class. Just to give a brief, BHARATNATYAM is dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu. A combination of Bhava( expression) Rasa(music, rhythm) and Natya(Dance). In my journey of eleven years I have performed various episodes from our scriptures. From Tandava to the great stories of the Indian Goddesses (Ashtalaxmi), the episodes from Mahabharat and Ramanaya, the journey has been beautiful.

                                                               

In my college years I was introduced to Ballroom Dance form. I enrolled myself at the very famous Sandeep Soparkar’s Ballroom Studio. It was a mix of Latin Ballroom (Samba, Cha Cha, Jive, Rumba), Standard Ballroom (Foxtrot, Waltz, Quick Step & Viennese Waltz), Salsa & Merengue. Also, I did lay my hands on Tango and Paso Doble; but in the absence of a great partner it’s difficult to enjoy these forms. As an amateur, in my first 2 years of training I instantly fell in love with the fast paced versions (Cha Cha, Jive, Samba, Salsa). It somehow brings out the chic side in you and if you are lucky to find a great partner, it’s a whole new world. I distinctly remember Sandeep Sir saying, “As you go to the higher levels you will start enjoying Standard Ballroom more.” And I’ve come to realise that one’s Master is always right. Six years into training and now one of my favourite forms is ‘Waltz’. Waltz has a larger than LIFE feel to it. Prancing with your partner in a wave like movement (the count 1-2-3: down-up-down) redefines LOVE for me. If I were to pick a Bollywood song to Waltz on, I would pick ‘Dil Ki Nazar Se’ from the movie ANARI(1959).

                                 

It does become a tad bit difficult to pursue your passion once you are working. However, I have been fortunate to be associated to Dance till date. Dance has been my biggest stress buster and at times helped me take some of the game changing decisions in life.

I hope you have enjoyed reading, until next time.

                                                                                                                                                                Mansi Nagda.