International Dance Day has been celebrated on April 29 through promotion by the International Dance Council (CID), an umbrella organisation within UNESCO for all genres of dance. International Dance Day also commemorates the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, a French dancer and ballet master. Goans love to dance and this passion can be first seen among children to enjoy dance as an activity which later grows into a passion that becomes a profession. Many Goans have also gained success at a national and international level in various genres of dance. Right from ballroom, to acrobatics and even Hip Hop, it is encouraging to see the talent from the smallest state in India make a mark on the world.
David Furtado led the way for Goans when he won Sony Television’s ‘Boogie Woogie’ in 1997. Cecille Rodrigues was a part of ‘Dance India Dance (DID) Super Mom’ season 2, ‘Dance Ka Tashan’ and ‘Zee Rishtey Awards 2013’. Salsa dancers, Amit Rajput and Sakshi Kurtarkar were the semi-finalists for the show ‘India Got Talent’ Season 5 and Top 7 on the ‘Dance Plus’ Season, ‘India Banega Manch’ and ‘High Fever’. Darryl D’Souza and Raquel Fernandes performed acrobatics on Sony’s ‘Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega’, ‘India’s Dancing Superstar’ on Star Plus, ‘ Adhur’s’ on Kannada TV and ‘Are You Ready?’ on ETC, Tamil channel.
Six students of Siddhant Gadekar Dance and Fitness Academy, Margao won the Junior Crew Indian Hip Hop Dance Championship in Mumbai and represented India at the international level at the World Hip Hop Dance Championship in San Diego, USA, in 2015. Considered the Olympics of Dance, the junior crew competed against 55 nations and came in the top 15 teams for the title of World’s Best Dance Crew. The Junior Crew was the first Indian crew ever to participate in the competition, while the senior team represented by Kings United, Mumbai won the bronze medal in the senior category.
Siddhant Gadekar is the founder of the Siddhant Gadekar Dance and Fitness Academy which was opened in January 2014. He now runs 7 centres in the vicinity of Margao. “The children are in the age group of three years and above. It does help when students achieve success at a national and international level. I have realised that most young dancers don’t receive the support from their family and friends as they are concerned about their future in dance as a career. But once they do get an opportunity to perform and they do well, they also get motivated to continue dancing. My students performing at the World Hip Hop Dance Championship certainly boosted my confidence as well as that of my students. I opened my own studio in 2016 and during April-May, we have summer camps for children,” says Siddhant, who has been dancing professionally since the age of 18 years.
He now trains children in Bollywood, Free Style and Contemporary dances. “This year, nearly 800 children are participating in the summer camps and we conclude the camp with a performance and competitions for the students. There are also competitions where parents have to dance with their children. The concert is Dance Ke Superstars and will be held at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao on June 1. The capacity of the hall is 1200 people but we receive over 2000 people eager to see their children dancing and having a good time,” adds Siddhant.
25 years ago, David Furtado won Boogie Woogie, a very popular dance show on Sony Television, at a time, when there were hardly any dance shows on national television. It had a huge impact on David’s life, who went on to start the first dance classes for children in Goa. “At that time, there was hardly any importance given to dance. I was the first Goan to perform and win on national television. Now more recently, we had Goans like Cecille Rodrigues, Amit Rajput and Sakshi Kurtarkar and Darryl D’Souza and Raquel Fernandes, on national television. It is not difficult to build a career in the dance industry but you have to work yourself that too persistently to survive in the industry,” says David, who conducts workshops and regular dance classes.
Even though he gained recognition everywhere he went in Goa, he still took five years to start his dance classes for children. “I started the classes at Clube Gaspar Dias, Miramar and Don Bosco auditorium and they were all paid classes. There were no trial classes. Children from the age of four years and above where taught Bollywood, Hip Hop and Contemporary dances. Now, 40 of my students are dance instructors across India. Around 6-7 students are now assistants to choreographers in Bollywood. In 2015, I organised a mega concert of 1000 dancers, who were students that we trained over a year. This year too, we are planning a concert,” says David, who also trains children in different schools. He is also invited to conduct workshops in colleges and universities in other cities of India.
Cecille Rodrigues has planned a special way to celebrate International Dance Day. Through Encore Academy of Performing Arts she will be hosting a fun and interactive dance workshop, providing a unique opportunity for media professionals to engage in the performing arts and celebrate the art of dance today, from 12 pm to 1 pm, at ESG, Art Studio 2, Panjim. Passionate about dancing, Cecille feels that if you have fame, it is easier to find work. “It is not easy to get on national television. You have years of sacrifice and practice to take you to that level. I am glad that I got the opportunity for ‘Dance India Dance’ and I took it. It is important to get the right opportunity. However, it requires hardwork to continue with dance as a career. I started with dance programmes for children, eight years back and now cover 15 schools in North and South Goa,” says Cecille.
Cecille trains children in dance genres like Bollywood, Hip Hop, Latin dances, Afro beats, Rock and Rolle and even Goan folk dances. “We cover students from pre-primary to college level. We are also planning to introduce a dance course at the college level and we have to work on how to implement the course. I hope Kala Academy can promote Western dances as part of their courses as right now the focus is on Indian classical dances. Dance should be given importance as a performing art in Goa,” says Cecille.
Martin and Flossy D’Costa of Dance Illusions have been teaching ballroom dancing in Goa and have stuck to the genre for the past 17 years. On May 1, they have planned a grand celebration to mark their 17th anniversary in the midst of their students, who have become a part of the dance family over the years. Specialising in Latin and Ballroom dances like Waltz, Quick Step, Foxtrot, Cha Cha, Jive and Salsa and even Club Latin dances like Bachata and Kizomba. The only couple in India to win in both standard and Latin categories, a total of ten dances in the year 2008, 2011 and 2012, Martin feels that youngsters prefer to dance at socials and weddings compared to participating in competitions. “Many youngsters in Goa have participated in the Dancesport competitions and have done incredibly well. Some have gone on to open their own dance classes and have pursued a career in dancing in Goa and abroad. But this number is very small and since Covid-19 pandemic, that lack of competitions and the interest too, have dropped considerably,” says Martin.