Calling all dance and Bollywood enthusiasts – and we know there are plenty of you out there! We’re finally starting up MissMalini‘s very own Bollywood Dance Class – the kind you can access anywhere, anytime and fret not, you don’t need to be some professional dance maniac to start!
We’re kicking off our mini dance tutes with Arjun Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha from Tevar (watch the full interview here!), as they help us out with the signature step from the song Superman.
Mind you, these particular steps require a chock-full of tevar, but can be performed at an upcoming party, a friend or family member’s sangeet, at any event you’ve been racking your brains for choreo, or even in front of your bedroom mirror – that’s kind of the best thing about dance – there’s no particular time or place for it! 🙂 We’ve altered a lot of the exact moves so that they’re quick, easy, adjustable and you can absolutely add in your own masala once you’ve mastered the moves! Challenge accepted? Let’s have some fun on our feet!
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Psst! We even asked them your Twitter questions, watch here! 🙂
We hope you liked our first Video Blog for this dance tute – and stay tuned for our next sesh where we dance with Varun Dhawan!
Till then, check out 5 moments in which dance has transformed me!
Unlike some breathtaking dancers I’ve had the opportunity to share the stage with, I can’t say I’ve been dancing my entire life. But, I can certainly say that the moment I decided to get on a stage and dance, was the moment I never looked back. I’ve had one heck of a topsy turvy journey of amazing-ness with dance. We’ve been all over the world together and it’s let me venture beyond myself and rediscover myself. The first time I saw our school Hip Hop troupe perform at a competition when I was fifteen, was the moment I decided I wanted to be on that stage even if that required busting my ass off… so that’s exactly what I did. From Hip Hop, I transitioned into Bollywood with Shiamak Davar International taking me under it’s wings. Though the transition from Hip Hop to hardcore Bollywood wasn’t as smooth as you would think it was, once I was in, I was hook, line and sinker-ed. Despite the fact that dance and I have created a myriad of memories together, I managed to single out a few of those dancing moments in which time stood still for me.
1) The time I got to be a Bollywood Princess for a day
This performance has got to be one of the highlights of my dancing career. I also got to play the role of an Indian Princess (Sati) in a musical production called Jhankar, in which I danced to Nagada Sang Dol. Matching Deepika Padukone was just about impossible and yet the way this number came together on stage (lights, costumes, sets, choreography and the brilliant dancers alongside me) at St Kilda National Theatre in Melbourne – blew my mind!
2) When my Ghagra had more uses than one
Though I wasn’t exactly a Bollywood Buff at one point in my life (I know, what even?!), I caught onto all things filmy and Bollywood like rapid fire (Phew!) – specially when it came to dance. This happened to be my first solo performing to one of my dance idol’s songs – Ghagra, performed by Madhuri Dixit in Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. This was one of those dance moments where I just had a whole lot of unabashed, filmy, nakhre-wala FUN – making the most out of the beautiful gold Ghagra I got to play around with!
3) That moment I discovered my one true love: Kathak
I was a Hip Hop dancer to begin with and for crying out loud – Kathak was NEVER on the plate. But then dance taught me NEVER to limit myself and to always roll with the unexpected. So that’s what I did. And you know what? Kathak is now my absolute favourite dance style! Everything from the postures, the elegant poses, the empyreal expressions, crisp spins, to the foot-work is just <3! Gotta give a special shout out to Manmohini Dance School, for imbibing the true meaning of Kathak in me!
4) My debut in contemporary – and boy was I pareshaan!
Ok so I wasn’t THAT pareshaan. But in this particular instance, I did perform to the song Pareshaan from Ishaqzaade! This song tore me into two. Literally. It was a contemporary depiction of both my alter egos (one right and the other, not so right). I still remember having to let go of myself in this song entirely, break all barriers and to give into the music completely and just be one with the movement that accompanied this languid dance! No regrets there 🙂
5) Cabaret, from on top!
I’m gonna be honest – this particular dance number had me thrown around from person to person (or rather from ladka to ladka),to the extent that my feet barely touched the ground and amidst it all I had to remain the composed and sexy entertainer I was playing on stage! To put it quite simply, it was tough. And learning to trust those around me (both mentally and physically) was a huge lesson I took away from this exhilaratingly sexy dance number to Madhubala‘s Aaiye Meharbaan!
Cheesy, perhaps, but it’s got to be said…dancing for me, has and always will be therapeutic. And now I’m more than ready to spread this love of mine with you, one beat at a time!
Till we meet again, Happy Dancing Guys! 🙂