A passionate teacher and a talented software developer, Sneha Desai has been through an interesting journey. A journey that she made on her own, reassured only by her own belief in herself. Perhaps, it was the first love of her life, that of dance, that gave her the strength she needed to face the challenges that came along the way. Maybe, it was her mother constantly being a pillar of support in times of uncertainty and doubt. Whatever the motivating factor was, it was a journey of miles and consistent work, one that deserves to be recognized and applauded.

As a child, Desai remembers her mother encouraging her to take up singing and dancing. Though she tried both, dance stuck with her in a more tangible manner. Her first serious performance came at the delicate age of 4, when she performed a traditional Marathi folk lavani. While she was always interested in conceptualizing her own choreography as a child, often with inputs from her mother, Desai’s first foray into dance choreography and teaching happened at the transitional period between 17 and 18 years of age. Hired as an instructor for belly dancing after she joined a studio, she discovered her love for teaching and instructing others in dance.

Desai’s first real challenge came in 2018. After moving to India from the USA, Desai never thought she would have to go back. However, when she did move back to the states in 2018, she faced a whole host of hurdles. At the cusp of her departure from India, Desai had just started making a name for herself. Her choreography had just gained traction and was getting some recognition. When she left India for the USA, all of that had to be started over. A new country meant that she had no way of knowing where to look for videographers, props or costumes. All her familiars were not easily available to her. Still, she stuck with it. With a little bit of motivation from her mother, Desai juggled a full-time job and her own personal brand management and social media marketing. The challenge was real and she faced it head on. She started her own studio with 5 students and grew to teach classes of 60-80 students. The whole experience is one, as Desai claims, of the most courageous steps she had taken in her entire life.

Desai’s major breakthrough came with her going public online with her visual content. A video of her choreography quickly garnered online attention and, soon, she was on her way to making a name for herself. Subsequent videos of her choreography got the same attention and people came to know her for her dance and choreography. Her personal ambition to teach as many as she can is a happy realization of this, a beneficial outcome of the love and recognition she, herself, received.

It is quite interesting to weigh Desai’s successes against her general outlook on life. According to her, teaching dance was the only thing she had in her sights. Her current brand and the recognition she has now were all unplanned, happy offshoots. She dealt with the challenges and setbacks she faced as they came. For her, it was always about letting things run their course and deal with them in the present. Still, she asserts that the only thing that kept her able to face everything is believing in herself and knowing the limits she could push herself to.

It is, perhaps, this same approach that she takes to dance. Dance represents a form of meditation for Desai. It is in dance that she truly loses herself, believing it to be a truly untethered and creative medium of expressing one’s self. Consequently, she believes that in conceptualizing a dance routine or any choreography, it is important, first and foremost, to capture the mood behind a track. Everything else comes later.

Her personal journey has taught Desai more than she could have learnt on her own. She knows the value of perseverance and persistent effort. As she states, talent is not something that is an unattainable, natural gift. It is something that is carefully nurtured and evolved with consistent hard work. Desai, truly, believes in cultivating one’s own talent and skill set rather than relying on the idea of it being something innate. This is the same advice she would give to any aspiring individuals in their own personal fields. Work, work and consistent work. As she reaffirms, it is not beneficial to fall back on the idea of being ‘tired’. In fact, she suggests removing that word entirely from one’s vocabulary. It is only then that we would learn the extent of our own capabilities. 

Well, she must be on to something. After all, it has been working splendidly for her.

The name BTS is definitely not foreign to the listeners of pop music; the 7 member South Korean boyband gave the k-pop wave a new form and popularized the said genre in the west. Recently, the group earned their first ever #1 on Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Dynamite’.

Boss Babes did a cover of the disco pop hit and it’s a treat to our eyes. The trio dances to the retro vibe song to the choreography made by Nikita Borse. Recorded in an aesthetically pleasing setting, the cover features Nikita Borse herself along with Amreet Rajput and Anuja Maheshwari. The editing is so on point that is highlights the perfect synchronization of the choreography.

Ariana Grande, the 27 year old singer released her 6^th studio album with a mature and distinct R&B Sound. The title track ‘Positions’ is sensual and fearless. Recently, iPOP studio released a dance cover of the unapologetic track ‘Positions’ and you don’t want to miss it out! The cover features Nikita Patil, Ankita Gole and Yadnika Birari. The moves are made by Nikita Patil; with the fluidity of the choreography so on point, the cover is an absolute treat to the eyes. The moves are clean and perfectly executed which serves as the highlights of the cover.

Born in Porbandar, Gujarat and raised in Mumbai, Vaishali Sagar’s earliest memories are that of dancing. As Sagar claims, her mother often remarked on how, as a child, she walked less and danced more. Dance, however, was not the only passion she chased. As a growing girl, she involved herself in painting and reading. Soon, though, at the early age of 8, her passion for dancing saw a channeled growth as she began her formal training under the tutelage of Rooma Banerjee. It was that specific moment in her life that marked the beginning of her journey. 

An alumna from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, Sagar went on to further train in Indian Folk Dance under her former tutor, Rooma Banerjee. Indeed, it is a curious tale of happy accidents that led her to the position she is in now. At the age of 16, Sagar agreed to teach two friends a dance routine for the upcoming wedding of their cousin. The choreography got a good reception and before she knew it, Sagar was teaching 6 students over the weekend. The initial 6 students grew to 900 and, in 2000, Kalanjay Dance Academy was born.

Kalanjay, under Sagar’s guidance, has borne witness to a wonderful journey. A representative of India at numerous international folk festivals, the academy has gradually come to establish itself as a mainstay in the Indian folk dance landscape. With multiple awards already under their belt, including a gold medal at the Bambini Del Monde, held in Agrigento, Italy, Kalanjay and Sagar, now, look forward to an even brighter future.

While her journey has been inspirational, there are still people that Sagar looks up to. Her teachers, Rooma Banerjee and Prashant Bhafalekhar, have played an important role in shaping her into the individual she has become today. Moreover, Sagar counts Pyal Shah, her lead dancer amongst the people she, herself, finds aspirational. 

Still, her journey this far has not been one without obstacles. Coming from a familial background which put a lot of emphasis on education, there were some initial reservations from her parents when Sagar first stated her intention to pursue dance as a career. Her father gave her a year and his garage to use as her studio. Her perseverance and determination eventually prevailed. Sagar has, since then, received unwavering support from her parents and her husband in her ventures.

Her message!

For Sagar, dance, truly, holds a sense of magic. It is, perhaps, this perspective that motivates her to keep honing her craft. Her own drive to keep bettering herself and learning from her past mistakes is something she instills in her own students, who she cherishes. She believes that innate talent should run parallel with persistence and consistent hard work. That alone, she reaffirms, is the key to success.

Whether you want to admit it or not, we all have memories of blasting music and dancing in the privacy of our own rooms. You let the music take over you, feel it in every cell of your body and just let go. It’s like the music moves you. You don’t have to think, the movement comes naturally to you. This is just one of the beauties of humanity. When your movements don’t even have to make sense. But dancing in reality, as an art form is so much more complex. And semi-classical dance is somewhere in between these two extremes.

While it isn’t as rigid as Indian classical dances, it isn’t as easy as dancing in your room without any thought or structure.  The genuineness of pure classical forms of dance is preserved. Yet, semi-classical is much more fluid in nature, forgiving. It usually breaks from the fixed structures, adopting a contemporary feel.

Sure, dancers have more artistic freedom while creating their own choreographies. However, skill and knowledge about the dance form are still crucial. At last, you have to learn the rules to break them. And today, we present some phenomenal dancers who have mastered this!

The Covers…

First up, we have Nidhi Kumar. She uploaded a spectacular dance cover on the heart-touching song, ‘Titliaan’. Nidhi narrates the story through a mix of semi-classical, kathak and freestyle dance. Her expressions with the aesthetics of the video will leave you awe-struck. The costume, location, hair and makeup – all just add to the story narration resulting in a powerful, yet graceful piece of art!

We also have Nidhi Ram and Neha Ram, sisters with their duet dance cover of the timeless ‘Mere Dholna’ from ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’. The costume, their expressions, gestures and movements make the whole experience even more beautiful. This semi-classical choreography is an absolute delight to watch!

Dance is the most natural expression of joy humans have known. It is something so unique to humankind and prevails over almost all cultures. Many people view dancing as a way to get closer to their gods. And some do it for unadulterated self-expression. But in this modern age, a lot of things have changed. People who gravitate towards it feel pressured to give it up. Because the narrative today is, “Either be really good at it or don’t do it”. 

Some people hold the school of thought that dancing is emasculating. That it strips a man of his manhood to express himself through movement. These are barriers that many performers deal with in this day and age. But wherever there are barriers, there is also growth, positivity and hope. Many people come forth with their limitless talent and show the world that one doesn’t need to look like anything or have a high skill level to express themselves through dance. 

Early Life

Rohit Gijare is one of the most talented dancers and choreographers of this generation. Born in Nasik, Maharashtra, he moved with his family to the United States of America at the age of 8. He, like many kids, started dancing pretty early at the age of 3 or 4 years old. And it was at this stage when his parents recognised his untapped potential and helped him receive all the required training and education. Parental support truly goes a long way in achieving dreams!

He attended Rutgers University in New Jersey and also obtained a Bachelor’s degree in communications. Even though he had many setbacks in his career, to him dancing is always the ‘rock’. There is never a time when he didn’t feel better after dancing. And I think that defines passion in its essence. When you love what you do, your work will never feel like a ‘job’. In his leisure, he enjoys listening to music, cooking, watching shows and travelling. A wholesome lifestyle indeed

Struggles and Success

But passion, unfortunately, isn’t enough, it must be married to reinvention, perseverance and strength to carry on in this indifferent world. One of Rohit’s biggest life-changing incident was when he opened his dance school in New York City. It was by no means a small feat, in the first few weeks, his classes were full. However subsequent weeks so no attendance at all. He set aside self-misery in favour of self-reinvention and worked twice as hard.

Now he is a runner up of Dance India Dance and participated in an episode of So You Think You Can Dance. His YouTube videos have been seen by millions and amassed quite a following! And he also founded a dance company called ‘Exodus Artistry’ which has collaborated with Etsy, BuzzFeed, Louis Vitton, Terrence Lewis and NBA. 

His Message

While dancing may come easily to some of us, mastering it is a whole other ballgame altogether. You need to stretch properly, do rigorous strength training. And you also need to take care of your diet. The art of listening to your body is also vital. In a quest to keep pushing ourselves, we make ourselves open to burnout and injuries.

Be bold too! Gijare once had to choreograph 40+ dances for a 90-minute production. And he didn’t hold back. In the end, his message to all aspirants is this:

“To all of those dreamers, regardless of age, don’t let fear or that judgement of what others might say stop you from chasing your dreams. While each person’s circumstances may be different, if this is what you really want to do, take the leap of faith, trust yourself, and work as hard as you can. Believe in yourself that you will get where you want to and you ultimately will. There will be many downs but there will also be many ups! Keep pushing yourself to be better one day at a time and if you do that, your dreams are limitless.”

Rohit Gijare