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Lurking in the dark corners of lost Mughal provinces is the glory past of bejewelled necks and lavishly costumed bodies of heaven romancing to the rhythmic tunes of royal melodies-the tawaifs, the mujre wali, and the kothewali. The cultural treasures and artistic geniuses of then, now social outcasts and sexual objects of an institutionalized patriarchy.

‘Mujra’, a word often associated with eroticism or sexual dance styles, born of an Oudhi origin, was a performing art form solely reserved for the womb it was birthed at, that is, the royal courts. Under the tutelage of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the final king of Awadh, two storytellers known as Kathaks, Kalka Maharaj and Bindadeen Maharaj, expanded and perfected the classical dance form of Kathak, adding more drama and seduction till it was refined to Mujra. This dancing style was learnt and improved by the Nawab himself, who was a dancer of great skill and finesse. Therefore, the Ustads who were recognised with starting the Lucknow Gharana of Kathak later became the creators of Mujra.

Derived from the Marathi language, Mujra literally means ‘to bow down’. Before beginning a performance, it is customary for dancers to bow and pay respect to God, their Guru, and the audience. Namaskar and Salaami
tukdas/todas of Kathak have kept this alive. It was most likely this act of Mujra, or paying respect, that gave the performance its name. This symbolism can be seen in famous folk Bhajans of Uttar Pradesh like Ram Jharokhe- “राम झरोखे बैठ के सबका मुजरा ले, जैसी जाकी चाकरी वैसा वाको दे” (Lord Ram watches us all through
a window and rewards us in accordance with the intensity of our obeisance towards him.)

Holding these tokdas in the delicat elegance of their palm were Tawaifs. Contrasting popular connotations,
they were courtesans similar to Japan’s Geishas. Well-known culturists, aesthetes, collectors, and entertainers, they were artists who passively consumed the patronage they had received. The Tawaifs were the most powerful group of female citizens and made the most of their direct access to powerful males. They were supposed to be affluent in Hindi and Urdu languages, and learn poetry and literature. In a place known for being extremely competitive, only the wittiest and most self-assured remained. They were the first wave of feminists in the Indian peninsula and possessed land, which was a privilege enjoyed by few males, save for any woman. It was the incoming British who cracked down on Tawaifs under the guise of social cleansing in order to end kinship-based authority and destroyed the indigenous dynasty. To lessen their power over their respective leaders, the Tawaifs were stripped of their possessions and territory.

In the early 1800s, the British turned them into prostitutes and prohibited Mujra through a number of laws. A social purity movement that attacked non-hetero, noncis, LGBTQ+ citizens began soon after. Anti-courtesan laws were introduced in an effort to combat STDs. The governments of India and Pakistan adopted this atmosphere of shame after their respective independences. In Mumbai, the dance bars where the contemporary Mujra was practised were forbidden. The tawaifs of Pakistan were expelled to the outskirts of the city during the rule of the military ruler Zia-Ul-Haq.

After then, the Kotha facility was turned into a brothel, and Mujra was transformed into a suggestive and borderline filthy erotic dance show. For India’s indigenous performing arts, this was a horrible and irreparable loss, as a vast array of songs and dance forms also perished along with their keepers.

Mujra now takes the contemporary, reduced-down form of Bollywood songs like Salame Ishq and Inn Akhon
Ki Masti Ke performances in bars and wedding parties for a hefty price and a lowly occupation. According
to Kabir Kakkar, the talent manager of Lucknow’s K4 Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.,

“In Lucknow, most dancers are Indian, but the ‘big money’ dancers are from Uzbekistan, Russia, and Ukraine, paid between Rs 5,000 and Rs 25,000 per one-hour show. They are trained in Kathak or Bharatnatyam, and some have picked up mujra expressions and gestures from films like Umrao Jaan.”

The maker of the same film Umrao Jaan, Muzaffar Ali, claims that what we see now is not mujra. It’s all very
commercial and physical, as he puts it. “The art, where is it?”

The status quo of these dancing groups remains hazy with the transforming identity of what it is to be a ‘Mujre Wali’. They substitute their menial occupation with jobs in IT sectors, modeling agencies, and small acting roles in television serials. Because as accounted by one of these dance group owners, “It’s a bit demeaning to call them just mujra girls.

Aayat Farooqui

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Dance through time has remained to be a form of expression around the world. And like any kind of art, it too has evolved and changed with passing trends and influences. Dance forms reflect various aspects of the society, and their timeline through the ages is corroborated by its evolution.

  1. The Roaring 20s

The 1920s, famously known as the Roaring Twenties, were a time of economic prosperity, especially in the western society. This decade was also known as the “années folles” or the ‘crazy years’, emphasizing the era’s social, artistic, and cultural dynamism.

This era is defined by dances like the Lindy Hop, Foxtrot, Waltz, the Shimmy, and the Charleston.

  1. The Threadbare Thirties

The 1930s, famously known as the Threadbare Thirties, was a period defined by political and economic crises worldwide, including the Great Depression, which would eventually result in the Second World War in the coming decade.

This era is defined by dances like the Hop, Jitterbug, and the Jive. It also saw the popularization of exotic dance forms of Latin America like the Samba, Conga, and the Rumba.

  1. The Fightin’ Forties

The 1940s, also known as the Fightin’ Forties, is an era defined majorly by the wars that took up most of this time period. The Second World War took up the majority of this era’s first half, followed by a war-weary Europe being led towards the starting of the West’s Cold War while the East saw the liberation of various nation-states that were under the western allies. Despite the war-stricken nature of this era, people found comfort in music and dance, and the activity continued to flourish.

This era is defined by the popularity of jazz, and a blend of jazz dances were popular in this era, like the Cakewalk and the Charleston, Black Bottom, Susie Q, the Shake Blues and the Gutbucket Blues, the Trunky Doo, and the Big Apple.

  1. The Fabulous Fifties

The 1950s, also known as the Fabulous Fifties, is defined as an era of growth and rebellion. Though the world hadn’t completely come out of political struggle, with the Korean War and the Vietnam War still raging, major dances evolved from movies like “Grease” and “Hairspray”.

This era is defined by the popularity of the iconic Rock n Roll era, as well as other dances like the Boogie Woogie, the bop, and the Chalypso.

  1. The Swingin’ Sixties

The 1960s, also known as the Swingin’ Sixties, is an era defined by a revolution in social norms regarding clothing, sex, drugs, sexualities, and formalities. This era is also defined as one of irresponsible excess, flamboyance, and decay of social order. The Sixties saw a fall or relaxation of social taboos.

Artists like “The Beatles” had a huge impact on the dance trends of this era, and the 1940s saw the introduction of over 400 dances. Some of these include- the Fly, the Mashed Potato, the Twist, and the Funky Chicken.

  1. Synthpop Disco Seventies 

The 1970s saw a rapidly emerging urban nightlife scene. It can be seen as a reaction by the 1960’s counterculture. Disco-goers often were associated with expensive, extravagant and sexy fashion. There was also a thriving drug subculture in the disco scene and clubs were also associated with promiscuity. Disco started as a mixture of music from venues popular with African Americans, Hispanic and Latino Americans, Italian Americans, and LGBT people in Philadelphia and New York City.

Several dance styles were developed during the period of disco’s popularity in the United States, including “the Bump” and “the Hustle”. Well-known disco artists include Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, and the Bee Gees, while films like Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Thank God It’s Friday (1978) contributed to disco’s mainstream popularity.

  1. The Rockin’ Eighties 

The eighties saw great advancement in technology and

The Eighties were heavily influenced by rock music, as well as breakdancing. It was also the year of punk and heavy metal such as moshing- jumping around to the sounds of loud heavy metal music. Moshing, Jacking, and Voguing are iconic styles that came out of this dance era. Many styles from this era have been changed to fit the current music, for example mosh pits at EDM concerts.

Even though break dancing was such a big thing, A famous dance film in the 1980s was “Dirty Dancing” which featured a dance style called lambada. Lambada, a dance with long-standing Brazilian roots, was a very sensual dance, even though it was very fast paced.

  1. The Hip Nineties 

The 1990s was the era of hip hop, which has influenced our dance culture today. Hip hop and rap culture saw an immense growth and gave rise to the baggy jeans, loose shirt and backwards cap hip hop look. Artists like Tupac Shakur, Jay Z, and Ice Cube shaped the youth culture worldwide.The 1990s had dances from the tootsie roll, the running man, to the macarena that still are popular.

Zumba, an exercise dance, also gained mass popularity in the 1990s. This dance combines aerobic movements, and salsa dance and has now become a staple exercise worldwide to help build strength and improve movement.  

  1. The Trendy 2000s 

The 2000s saw the advent of the internet and artists like Brittany Spears, N’Sync, Beyonce and Ciara changing the music and dance scene wave with their hit singles and rocking dance moves.

The 2000’s were also characterized by the ever-increasing interest in electronic music. Street Dance styles like Krumping became popular. It saw a blend of y different types of dance such as hip hop, vogue, and disco. The popularisation of videos due to YouTube also made movies to songs iconic and heavily replicated, such as Beyonce’s Single Ladies, Soulja Boy’s Crank That and Young B’s Chicken Noodle Soup.

  1. Viral Dances of Today: 

Gangnam Style: originating from the popular kpop song, Gangnam Style, by PSY, it became popular in 2012- Its music video was the most watched video on Youtube until Despacito came along. The dance consists of several moves done in the video and still remains iconic.

The Floss: The floss dance became famous when a 16-year-old kid,  Russell Horning, who became famously known as The Backpack Kid, started posting videos of himself doing this strange dance. The dance soon became viral, and Horning gained a massive following- even performed his dance on Saturday Night Live to Katy Perry’s song “Swish” and had the dance be included in one of Fortnite’s moves.

The Tiktok Savage Dance: with the advent of quick content consumption apps like Tiktok, dances like the Savage dance and the Renegade have become viral. ticktokers have a 15 second sassy routine to the tunes of Savage by Megan Thee Stallion.

Feature Image Credits: Buzzfeed

Shreya Juyal 

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Satviki Sanjay

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This World Dance Day 2020, let no dancer feel inferior, let no dance be motivated by one’s body size, let dance be what it is, an expression of words. 

I was fourteen when I last danced on the stage. After years of learning Kathak and looking at other dancers, a question poked me right in the face. With gorgeous long hair, well proportionate bodies, beautiful Kathak dancers danced right beside me, while I tried to avoid looking at the large mirror right in front of me. Was I trying to avoid not dancing in front of others? I disliked how my breasts moved when I danced, or how I looked amidst several slim and lean women. It took my years of body positivity and unlearning to go back on stage without fearing log kya kahenge? 

My privilege provided me with the resources to learn and unlearn that dance is an emotion. Yet, over 13% of British adults considered attempting suicide over concerns related to body issues. The quest for a thinner body is consistent. According to BBC, ballet dancers are over 10% more vulnerable to eating disorders than non-dancers. With girls as young as 12, they question even puberty to not give them a shape a Ballerina would have. Low body weight and menstrual imbalance largely characterise their childhood. 

According to research conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information and National Institute of Health, “Dancers were more likely to have an eating disorder when strict modified DSM-3-R criteria were applied.” If statistics are to be believed, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa largely affect the young dancers. 

However, the other side of the spectrum expects women to be “fuller” with appropriate distribution of body weight. Devika, a Mohiniattam dancer who has battled with her lean body says, “Back in my childhood, I was a skinny person, but I loved dance way too much to let go of it. I always remained unnoticed and right at the back of the line. Being skinny and tall was tough, I looked weird. I kept on dancing right at the back until I acclaimed my position right at the centre.”

For some, dance is freedom, yet, they remain confined to the shackles of societal norms and body standards propagated by capitalist pioneers, feeding off the young minds. Traditionally, dance has narrowed itself to lean, slim and proportionate dancers leaving a large part of individuals with bodies which are, well, normal. A Bharatnatyam and Contemporary dancer from Kolkata, Rajlakshmi Ghosh Dastidar sometimes gives in to what others would think. “I’m a dancer, yet I shy away sometimes. I always think about what people will think. I know I shouldn’t. But you see, dancing in front of an audience on stage and dancing in public randomly has a lot of difference. I feel uncomfortable.” 

In 2017, a #BoPoBallerina (#BodyPositiveBallerina) movement was initiated by an Anorexia Nervosa survivor who aims to build a change in the dance world by encouraging body diversity and the body positivity movement. Recently, body positivity lectures have also been introduced in dance classes. Nothing is more disappointing than a ten-year-old limiting herself because she feels inferior due to her body! 

In a world surrounded by constant jibes coupled with insecurity, let dance remain free of its constraints. On the World Dance Day 2020, let no dancer feel inferior, let no dance be motivated by one’s body size, let dance be what it is, an expression of words. 

Feature Image Credits: Today Show

Anandi Sen

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After the declaration of results, several rounds of admissions to follow in the supernumerary seats of the ECA category.

On Monday, 15th July, the University of Delhi (DU) announced the schedule as well as detailed guidelines for aspirants seeking admission to its colleges under the Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) quota.

The University conducted the Preliminary rounds of trial for fourteen categories of the ECA quota from 25th June 2019 to 5th July 2019. The results of shortlisted students to appear for the Final round of trials was released on 6th July 2019 and the Finals were conducted from 9th July 2019 to 14th July 2019.

Schedule for Registration and UG Admission via ECA quota Image Credit: Delhi University
Schedule for Registration and UG Admission via ECA quota Image Credit: Delhi University

According to the recent information uploaded on the DU website, the result or the merit list prepared after the Finals, will be notified on 17th July, 2019 at 5 pm. After which, there will be several rounds of registration and admissions for candidates whose names figure in ECA Merit Lists – four rounds have been scheduled so far. Aspirants should note that each college will conduct its registration process separately, and that there is no centralisation of this process. Therefore, they will have to apply separately to each of the colleges they are seeking admission to, during each of the registration and admission rounds.

The first round of registration is scheduled from 18th July 2019 to 20th July 2019, and the colleges will release their first notification of admitted candidates on 22nd July 2019 by 10 am. The candidates who secure admission in each of the rounds of admission, are required to pay their fees on the DU portal by 3 pm on the next day of taking admission.

There are 1,050 seats up for grabs under the fourteen categories according to the DU’s Bulletin of Information for candidates seeking admissions to Undergraduate programmes. The varsity has also specified that a maximum of five percent of the total seats in a college have to be put up for admission under this category.

Lastly, the aspirants seeking admission under ECA must keep in mind that they are required to carry all relevant documents in hard copy for the admissions procedure, and will also have to sign a bond on a non-judicial stamp paper, committing to take part in that ECA activities of the college, throughout their stay in college.

Feature Image Credit: Rishabh Chauhan for DU Beat

Bhavya Pandey

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Here is a recap of Day 1 at Tempest 2019, the annual cultural festival of Miranda House.

Tempest 2019- the Annual Cultural Fest of Miranda House- University of Delhi kick-started on 14th February 2019. There were a plethora of events scheduled by the college but most of them got delayed due to unfavourable weather conditions. Nevertheless, the events ran smoothly and the first day of Tempest turned out to be a fulfilling and vibrant experience for the attendees.

The Annual Rachita Das Gupta Quiz was organized by the Quiz Society of Miranda House. They conducted three quizzes on Day 1. The Open General Quiz saw participation of 30 teams with 2 members in each team. Mukund and Dhruv bagged the first position, while Rorik and Rohan came second, and Basab and Amlan stood third. Eco Biz Filler witnessed Kirti and Pragati win the competition. In the Open India Quiz, Ashish and Abhishek Paliwal came first while the duos of Jayant and Amlan, and Ankur and Kartik Puri stood second and third, respectively.

Vaatavaran, the Eco Club of Miranda House organised Enviro Quiz, a short-film-based quiz. It saw participation from 20 teams from across different colleges. The first prize was awarded to Poornima and Yash, while Karishma and Garima, and Pragati and Niharika bagged the second and third prizes, respectively.

E-Cell, Miranda House, organised three Inter-College events at Tempest 2019. Combination- an event related to geographical locations of companies, saw participation of 20 teams with two students in each team. Addictive- a marketing competition of pitching products in the style of Bollywood, was won by Ashok, while Pinku came second. Boss Hunt- a Treasure Hunt had 35 teams compete, where Aditya Sah came first, while Neeruganti Purnima came second.

11 Dance Societies from across different colleges, which qualified the online preliminaries, performed at Burlesque, the Western Dance Competition, organised by Tanz, the Western Dance Society of Miranda House. The event was judged by Mrs. Sameeksha and Mr. Nitin Theo Kerketta. Enliven (Western dance society of Gargi) won the competition, while Crunk (Western dance society of Sri Aurobindo) came second.

The next event was the Hindi Debating Competition where the students battled their wits on the topic- “Sadan ke math mein loktantra maatr ek saashan pranali nahi, jeevan mulyo ka srot hai (In the opinion of the House, democracy is not only a regime conduct, but it is the source of life values).” It was judged internally by teachers- Mrs. Kusuma Krishna Subha and Mrs. Meeta Kumari. Smriti from Lady Shri Ram College was awarded the title of Best Speaker in favour of the motion while Happy from Ramjas College was awarded as Best Speaker in opposition.

Amid the melody of raag Darbari and Yaman, Sangam- the Indian Classical Music Competition- organised by Geetanjali, the Indian Music Society of Miranda House saw various performances that had the audiences captivated. With 14 participants in the Duet Singing Competition and 13 teams representing their colleges in the Choir Singing Competition, the event was a huge success. The Duet Singing Competition concluded with SGTB Khalsa College’s Sukriti and Saksham bagging the second prize, with the winner’s title being claimed by Hansraj College’s Pranava and Ram.

Adwitiya, the Fine Arts’ Society, in a stunning display of powerful art, transformed SAC to an exquisite art gallery. From portraits to abstract brushstrokes, all the artwork presented had a story to tell. An art-piece labeled ‘Nirvana’ captured the modern world in a representative manner. A symbolic display promised and delivered aesthetic pleasure.

The day concluded with the performance by PARASHARA- a popular Delhi-based progressive band, with an idea conceived and brought to action in the mountains. The audiences swiveled to the beats as they played their melodies, revolving around the realities of life, with an interesting modern touch to it. This wraps up the Day 1 of the fest and all the festivities stuck true to the theme of the fest: “Future of Fun”.

Image credits: Mahi Panchal for DU Beat

 

Sakshi Arora

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Shaurya Thapa

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Kartik Chauhan

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Shivani Dadhwal

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For applicants applying under the ECA category, the best place to be informed is the University Website, College websites, and college notice boards which will notify the number of seats available, the list of students selected from the ECA trials. However, admission into a college only depends upon the availability of seats in that particular college and is not subject to clearing the final trials.

General Guidelines

Here are the general guidelines for the students applying under the ECA category:

  1. The applicants are required to apply separately under the ECA category under the UG admissions portal for an additional fee of Rs. 100/ (per event).
  2. The applicants are required to upload only one certificate (preferably the one with the highest achievement) issued after 1st May 2015 to 30th April 2018 in each activity they wish to apply for as a proof of their involvement in the relevant activity.
  3. Trials will be held at two levels:
  • Preliminary trials
  • Final trials.

The dates for the same will be notified on the University and college websites as well as the college notice boards.

  1. The applicant shall be allowed to appear in the preliminary trials only once in an event.
  2. Not more than 15% concession/relaxation in academic merit vis-à-vis UR category applicants (for the last relevant cut-off) may be given for admission to specific programmes (subject to the minimum eligibility of the programme).
  3. Weightage in the final trials will be given to the trials and certificates in the following ratio: Trials: 75%, Certificates: 25%. The certificates are verified by the ECA committee of the college.
  4. The applicant must secure at least 50% marks in the final trials (38 out of 75) to be eligible for the final list of selected candidates
  5. All students should carry a copy of their application registration form as well as their certificates which they would have to submit in the venue of the trials.
  6. The trials for admission under the ECA category shall be the conducted by an ECA committee (Admissions) appointed by the University Admission Committee.

Colleges offering this course

51 colleges are offering ECA quota under Indian classical and Indian folk including Daulat Ram College, Deshbandhu College, Miranda House, Hansraj College, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, and Kamala Nehru College. There are 47 colleges offering ECA quota under Western Dance including Maitreyi College, Miranda House, Kamala Nehru College, Sri Venkateshwara College, and Lakshmibai College. In Choreography, 22 colleges are offering ECA quota including Deen Daya Upadhyaya College, LSR College, Ramjas College, Miranda House, Hansraj College, and Zakir Hussain Delhi College.

The Trials

Four categories are providing ECA quota under dance i.e. Indian Classical, Indian Folk, Western dance and Choreography.

According to Kaira Rakheja, a first year ECA quota student studying B.A. Political Science honours in Miranda House, “There were two rounds of trials and there were three to four judges at a time. Dancers were evaluated on the basis of technique and expression. It was quiet a speedy and efficient process. Each dancer introduced themselves, performed and was asked a few questions about their dance style and choreography.”

Students are often asked to be prepared by the teaching faculty for a large degree of competition in such a category. “I consider myself lucky to have gotten the rank that I did. It was really heartening to see the attention to technique as well as the high energy in each and every performer,” Ms. Rakheja says.

Feature Image Credits: Akarsh Mathur for DU Beat.
Sara Sohail
[email protected]

DU Beat recently got a chance to interact with television’s new dance sensation and a DU alumnus, Ryan Martyr, who is currently showcasing his dance moves on the dance reality show ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. A contemporary dancer by profession, he wants to build a tree house and organise a buffet for dogs if he wins the dance reality show. Excerpts:

DUB: As an alumnus of a popular DU College like Sri Venkateswara, is there any anecdote you’d like to share with us that you can recall from your days as a member of Verve, the Western Dance Society of Venky? What is your take on DU’s dance circuit in general? 

Ryan Martyr (RM): I earlier wanted to become a footballer. But when I got into college, I “just for fun” auditioned for the western dance society. Surprisingly, everyone loved me and instantly started to believe that I had the potential to be a professional dancer. That’s how I began dancing. My take on DU’s dance circuit is that I feel it gives a budding artist multiple opportunities to showcase his/her potential. The competition and the whole vibe pushes you to grow exponentially. Its absolutely wonderful.

DUB: As a member of a dance society, you must have attended quite a lot of fests at DU. Which college was your favourite to perform at during fests and why?

RM: My favourite college to perform in was Venky itself. The reason being that performing in front of your own college and home crowd gives you a high like none other. The cheering before and after the performance makes you want to push for greatness and definitely brings out the best in you.

DUB: Looking at your immense experience at such a young age, who is that one person/personality that keeps you motivated or whom you admire the most and why?

RM: The one dancer who inspires me a lot is Travis wall from So You Think You Can Dance, America. He began as a dancer on the show, then moved on to being a choreographer, then to a judge on the same show and now he is an Emmy winning choreographer. And in fact, I received a shoutout from Travis wall in my first round on SYTYCD India which was definitely one of the happiest moments of my life till date.

 

DUB: How did the idea of entering a dance reality show crop up in your mind? What is the larger goal you wish to achieve by performing at a platform of such a mammoth nature? 

RM: Honestly, I never wanted to enter any reality show. I just did because So You Think You Can Dance was the only reason I began dancing and as a young dancer, I always wanted to become a dancer of the same quality and so since the opportunity came knocking, I had to answer it. My larger purpose is to inspire people to follow their dreams and live life whole-heartedly. Hopefully, by dancing my heart out on this show I can achieve this.

DUB: Today the youth is driven by money, fame and the limelight that reality TV has in store. What is your take on the increasing commercial interest that has penetrated a creative industry like dance? Do you think this hampers true talent from coming to the forefront?

RM: I believe that before exposing yourself to fame & money, its very important to develop your art first. There is no point in selling stale art. Once your art is ready there is no harm in exposing it to the world. In fact by doing so, you can inspire millions.

 

“I believe that before exposing yourself to fame & money, its very important to develop your art first. There is no point in selling stale art.” 

DUB: To choose dance as a career option definitely mustn’t have been a smooth sailing for you, given the larger societal scepticism surrounding it in India. What did it take you to convince your parents and family to let you choose your passion as your career?
 
RM: Choosing dance was easy. I just had to follow my calling. I knew it the day I felt it, that Dance was for me. Convincing my parents was easy because I was convinced and was showing positive results from day one. I was so dedicated to dance that my parents never felt the need to question my decision. But yes, I have gone through many ups and downs which has just made me stronger.
IMG_5595
DUB: Apart from Contemporary, which other dance forms do you enjoy performing?

RM: I love doing hip hop and dancehall. Like honestly, at times I feel I am a better club dancer!

DUB: You have participated at the prestigious Britain’s Got Talent too. How was the experience there different from your experience performing on the Indian National Television? 

RM: I got selected for Britain’s Got Talent too, yes, but I could not participate on the show because I was on a tourist visa. But yes, to showcase my raw soul in a country like England where every dancer is so perfect was quite special.

DUB: Would you like to share something about your ‘guru’? Any memories of any college faculty leaving an impact on you in any way?

RM: I honestly have no guru. I learn and get inspired from almost everyone I meet. I am learning every minute. Wherever I am, I find someone or the other to get inspired from.

DUB: You have become a very exemplary figure among the youngsters as is evident from your growing online support. Any message or mantra you would want to convey to the students who wish to pursue a career in dance?

RM: Keep it simple. Keep it true. Make sure everything you do is full of yourself. Live life like you would never ever live it again. And love yourself!

DUB: If you do win the show, what do you intend to do post your big victory? Any specific goals?

RM: If I do win the show, I want to build myself a tree house. And use some money to publish my book, and definitely make a few songs. Probably have a buffet for all street dogs! I just want everyone to believe that Dreams Do Come True. Just work for it. Live a life people would love to read about.

“I want to build myself a tree house. And use some money to publish my book, and definitely make a few songs. Probably have a buffet for all street dogs!”

Image credits: Allan Martyr and Sandeep Chhabra

Interviewed by Riya Chhibber for DU Beat

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The Western Dance Society, the Classical Dance Society and the Choreography Society at Hindu College collaborated for what was touted to be the first ever dance fest in the country -Aramya 2016. Held on the 15th and 16th of March, this two-day dance extravaganza saw enthusiastic participation from across Delhi.

Day 1 of Aramya began with a street dance competition, which saw the participation of 3 teams. Sri Venkateswara College walked away with first place in street dance. This was followed by a performance by a professional dance troupe-‘Sandhya.’ The next event for the day was a classical solo competition, with 3 participants.

In the western dance competition on Day 2, 10 teams participated, with IIT Delhi taking first position. This was followed by a number of informal events like tug-of-war where the dance teams were pitted against each other. Aramya ended with the choreography dance competition, in which Kamla Nehru College stood first.

‘Aramya’ is an amalgamation of the names of the Western Dance Society (‘Arambh’), the Classical Dance Society (‘Adhrita’) and the Choreography Society (‘Srjya’). ‘Aramya’ came alive on social media platforms through behind the scenes videos of various participating groups, as well as ‘Humans of Aramya’ which featured the stories of individual dancers.

Sidharth Yadav, one of the organisers of the event, says,”It was a huge task to organise the event on such a large scale, but this was a successful step towards strengthening the dance community in the city. The event involved the contribution of a lot of people and managed to inspire vibrancy in the art form.”

Picture credits: Siddharth Yadav 

Abhinaya Harigovind

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Adagio led the group with 13 points. It is followed by Gargi College’s Sparx  and Hans Raj’s Terpsichoreon with 10 points each.

The Winning Society at a glance

Adagio, Kamala Nehru College

Adagio, the 13 member Choreography society of Kamala Nehru College has excelled at most of the fests at DU this year which including big names like Crossroads and Mecca. ‘Adagio’ also bagged second prizes at Mood Indigo (IIT Mumbai) and Oasis (BITS Pilani). “We have a close-knit group of dancers who practice a lot. We don’t focus on a single form of dance and try to make sure that we excel in every facet”, says Aseng Borang, Adagio’s President. Note: The thirteen fests included in our analysis for this series include SRCC’s Crossroads, Gargi College’s Reverie, Sri Venkateswara College’s Nexus, LSR’s Tarang, Hans Raj’s Confluence, I.P. College for Women’s Shruti, Daulat Ram College’s Manjari, Hindu College’s Mecca, Jesus and Mary College’s Montage, Miranda House’s Tempest, Kamala Nehru College’s Ullas, Kirori Mal College’s Renaissance, SGTB Khalsa’s Lashkara. Out of the fests listed, only 8 had conducted a competitive Choreo event.]]>

Every year, societies from colleges across the campus compete neck to neck and put up spectacular performances during the fest season. This year too, saw certain teams shine a little brighter than the rest. We bring you a series with college societies that put their heart and soul into their respective fields and took home the top prizes at various cultural fests. The best college society in each category was selected by creating a tally of the top 3 positions at competitive events held during 13 cultural fests of this season. Whenever a society won the first prize they were award 3 points, for the second position they received 2 points and for the third position, 1 point was added to their tally. In the folk dance category, S.G.T.B. Khalsa’s Bhangra Inspire emerges victorious with 14 points. Gargi College’s Nazakat follows next with 11 points.

The Winning Society at a glance

Bhangra Inspire, S.G.T.B. Khalsa

Bhangra Inspire, from S.G.T.B. Khalsa, lit the stage on fire during fests like Montage and Tempest with their Bhangra performance. “Our losses from last year helped us strive for more this year. We practiced hard, and although 2 of our team members met with an accident and got injured, we never looked back and emerged as the winners in most of the competitions we took part in”, said the team. Names of performing team members: Gurdeep Singh Babbar (President), Prateek Kathuria, Karan Sardana, Jagjeet Singh, Harsimran Singh, Gurinder Singh, Harpreet Singh, Harpal Singh, Chamandeep Singh, Kanwalpreet Singh. Note: The thirteen fests included in our analysis for this series include SRCC’s Crossroads, Gargi College’s Reverie, Sri Venkateswara College’s Nexus, LSR’s Tarang, Hans Raj’s Confluence, I.P. College for Women’s Shruti, Daulat Ram College’s Manjari, Hindu College’s Mecca, Jesus and Mary College’s Montage, Miranda House’s Tempest, Kamala Nehru College’s Ullas, Kirori Mal College’s Renaissance, SGTB Khalsa’s Lashkara. Out of the fests listed, only 7 had conducted a competitive Folk Dance Competition.]]>