DANCE LIKE A STAR, FIND A NEW HOBBY
MUMBAI: “First a Madhuri, then a Govinda, and finish off with a Beyoncé,” that’s how choreographer Terrence Lewis described one of the routines at his dance workshop, held on Sunday as part of the HT No TV Day weekend festivities.
As the music flowed, Mumbaiites who had ditched their TV sets for a day out with family learnt the basics of hip hop, salsa and Bollywood dance.
The free session was held at the Carter Road amphitheatre in Bandra and drew couples, families, morning joggers and even a group of foreign tourists returning from a No TV Day yoga session nearby.
By the end of the hour, the crowd had even mastered the lungi dance.
“I was a little hesitant to join in at first, but I couldn’t help myself. There was so much energy, you just had to dance,” said Anamika Roy, 19, a college student who was among the first to turn up.
Juhu homemaker Soni Rajan, 35, attended with her five-year-old daughter Anika. “I love to dance,” Soni said. “This workshop not only gave me the chance to learn something new, it also got us out of our Sunday routine. That’s a great feeling!”
Across the city, scores of free No TV Day workshops and training sessions drew hundreds, offering instruction in everything from workouts and dance to pottery, art and zumba.
At the Byculla zoo, there were nature trails and sessions on organic art. At Carter Road, in addition to dance and yoga, there was zumba and capoeira. The workshop on organic art saw children collect different leaves and other elements from nature to make a card for their parents.
“I really enjoyed myself today,” said 12-year-old Dhanvi Nagda, who had travelled all the way here from Goregaon with her parents. “The best part of the day was animal yoga — it was fun and I hope to do it every day.” The animal yoga was also a hit with Chembur girl Akshya Iyenger, 11, who attended with her mother Poornima, 40, a doctor. This fitness training programme saw children stretch themselves by imitating the way different animals walk — including a crab, a ‘wounded bear’ and a tyrannosaurus. “I’m always looking for things that keep my daughter away from the TV set,” said Poornima. “It’s important to show young people that there is a real world out there to explore.”