DANCING HER WAY TO A LIVING

Puneet Jewandah, 28 Co-Founder, The Engine Room, Chandigarh

Why business? Puneet Jewandah, who did two courses from New-York based Broadway Dance Centre in 2006 and 2011, came back and thought about settling in Mumbai to work as a choreographer. “I tried that for a few months but found that I was just not able to do justice, either to my art form or life. Everything was just too erratic there,” says the dancer who set up The Engine Room with her friend Kritika Sharma in Chandigarh in 2013.

Setting up Engine Room “Trying to make an artform your bread and butter is always a risky proposition in this country. I would be lying if I said that I was not nervous. But then I was very clear that my life had to revolve round dance. I would be doing grave injustice to my craft if I treated it as a hobby and took up a routine job for survival.”

What I have Achieved “What do I say—I received the Excellent Award in Choreography from Trinity College in Britain for the musical Greece, which was staged with students of Vivek High School in Chandigarh.” The Engine Room, which is a travelling dance company now, is all set to offer capsule dance courses for corporates in Delhi besides tying up with schools in the Tricity (Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula).

The Challenges When The Engine Room started, there was no dedicated dance company offering dance fitness. “We had to educate people, convince walk–ins about how dance could change their lives. Business teaches you so much, especially about people.”