Shall we dance...
On International Dance Day, NIKITA WADHAWAN catches up with dance guru SHIAMAK DAVAR as he talks about his journey, favourite students and competition...
Shiamak Davar is a name that is synonymous with dance. Be it cinema or stage, Davar’s skills have transcend all mediums to let his audience break into a jiggle. His students from all over the world have made a name for themselves, carrying forward his legacy of dance. Many consider it an honour to be selected as a professional dancer for his academy. He is one of the pioneers of fusing contemporary to tradition, and although the road wasn’t a bed of roses, Davar did come out a winner.
Taking the lead Although today some of the best dancers in the world are from India and most of them are male dancers, there was a time, not too long ago where dancing was taboo not just for men but for women as well.
Reminiscing about his journey, Shiamak recalls the struggles he faced to change people’s mind-set. “My journey was very tough but very beautiful. Almost 25 years ago girls were discouraged from dancing as people used to say things like tumse shaadi kaun karega.The boys who came to my class were considered effeminate, but today after so many years of reinforcing dance as an art form we have reached a stage where it is normal to dance for men and women. I am very happy that after so much of hard work, dance today is a respectable profession and not just some stupid or frivolous thing,” he says.
Bollyhop
Shiamak’s institute has not only given us some great dancers but also some impressive actors as well. From Shahid Kapoor to Sushant Singh Rajput, his academy paves a way into Bollywood. Embracing this notion, Shiamak feels gratified when he sees his student doing well in life.
“Sushant, Shahid, Varun and Priyanka (after she became Miss World) all came and learnt for me, now when I see them under the spotlight I feel so proud. Today there are so many students from my academy who are in the film industry that I didn’t even know were part of my programme,” he says adding further about who is his special student amongst them all, “I love all of them; don’t have a favourite but someone who is a bit more special from the rest would be Shahid. He is someone who has always appreciated me, never forgotten me so I feel very happy when he does that.”
Naach meri jaan Dance in India for the longest time was restricted to weddings and birthdays, but today we are exposed to so many different forms of dancing. Dance is no longer just an art form but a stress-reliever, exercise and a healing mechanism. “People who are addicted to drugs or alcohol if they take up dancing, they will be busy trying to learn something new instead of wasting time on stupid things. People get so involved in dancing that they forget about everything for that time period,” he says.
With the advent of dance reality shows like Dance India Dance, Nach Baliey and many others, dance has also become a form of entertainment, but Shiamak doesn’t think that they are doing their job properly, “You all are so lucky to have such a platform to showcase so many beautiful dancers even from small towns, from auto rickshaw driver’s kids to people in the villages they all are coming out. Sometimes I wish the judges knew their work. Some of their analysis is not 100% accurate,” Shiamak retorts.
Strictly ballroom After Shiamak revolutionised dance in India many others came forward and brought their own style of dancing like Sandip Soparrkar, so does that evoke envy or a sence of competition? “I think Sandip is a wonderful dancer and he has a phenomenal partner like Jessie, but we have very different style of work. People love dancing with their partner and that’s were Sandip comes in,” he says, dismissing any hopes of a collaboration soon.
“I would love to collaborate with him or anyone but the problem lies with them. I think that they are probably shy or reluctant to approach me,” Shiamak adds.
“People like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire form of dance is classic till today. I have not seen anyone like them. That was a very gracious time, but since then dance has grown, now is the time for high octane dancing and powerful dancing,” he says.