Dance is the wind beneath their wings. And reality television is their ticket to a flight to stardom. Talent hunts on television have not just unearthed some great dancers from remote corners but also put the spotlight on unseen genres in dancing.
Almost overnight 23-year-old Harihar Das’ locking and popping moves turned him from an aspirant to a star. “People here are not well-versed with the sub genres of street dancing. But after seeing me perform, they feel inspired to learn more.” Following his “reality” stint, a telecom company roped him for a commercial where he danced to the tunes of Oscar winner A.R. Rahman. “I was living my dream,” he says.
Going by all the positive reviews, Das feels, “I’m sure in a few years there’ll be poppers and lockers roaming on streets here, just like in the West,” he says.
Another Western style to have made it big in India this year is the acrobats, made popular by the talented duo of Diwakar and Sonia. Their seamless moves on stage wowed the nation.
Also popular this year were innovative alternatives. Sanjay Mondol’s ragpicker band from Kolkata introduced a novel concept of making music out of waste materials like tin drums, oil cans, bottles, and even thermocol. Sanjay admits, “Performing on national television was a life changing phenomenon.”