Have you met UAE's dance crews and the 'Kala Chashma girl'?

It's not about putting your right foot in and taking your right foot out anymore. Rehearsed and disciplined performances are '2000 and late': chaotic flash mobs are here to stay. Therapy, fitness, or a stress buster - what does dance mean to you? It's not about putting your right foot in and taking your right foot out anymore. Rehearsed and disciplined performances are '2000 and late': chaotic flash mobs are here to stay. Therapy, fitness, or a stress buster - what does dance mean to you?

For some, dance is therapeutic; it helps let go of their inhibitions. For others, it probably is the much-needed breather from their regular 9-5 job. Perhaps, that's why the Internet took notice of a moonwalking traffic cop in India who chose to combine his passion and profession while simultaneously drawing a smile on the faces of commuters. Some resort to dance as a fitness option; ditch the gym and the park on a sunny day. Would you choose the dance floor over a treadmill and a dance workout over a gym routine to burn those calories? It's also a calming activity for some. Indian bride Amisha Bhardwaj bid farewell to cold feet (and left feet) as she prepped for her big day and danced away with her bridesmaids, and in doing so, gave way to a viral video.
Being a dancer may not be identified as the most conventional career option in town, but it sure is happening; UAE's dancers and crews are proof. 
Actually, there is no conventional dancer tag anymore. If that was the case, trends such as, Gangnam Style and Harlem Shake would have never seen the light of the day. In 2013, The Chaavat Boys dance crew was among the top contestants of India's Dancing Superstar, a dance reality show that was aired on Star Plus. Their idea of dance was different; one that saw them stay put while executing a lyrical and humorous rendition of the song - sans the lifts, flips and splits.
A dancer doesn't need a stage or a physical audience anymore. With the concept of flash mobs, the conventional stage has disappeared. The stage is where the people are; a mall, railway station, the cinemas, and the airport are top spots. As you go online, YouTube tutorials assume the role of your dance instructor. 
Dance happens anywhere, and holds different meanings for different people. What about you? 

A chat with 'Kala Chashma girl'

@nidhikumardance: Professional dancer-YouTuber Nidhi Kumar uses her social media to conduct live workshops on Instagram, YouTube & Live.ly. 

When did your dance journey begin?
I was dancing at dance parties since I was six. At 12, I choreographed my performance on the then popular song Kajra Re. That year, I travelled to Mumbai for the finals of Boogie Woogie, (a popular Indian dance reality show) participated in shows, choreographed for school events and since then there's been no looking back. 
You gave up a regular 9-5 job to pursue dance. What prompted you to do so and what's the feedback?
I realised I couldn't sit in the same spot for eight hours. I would get restless, secretly watch new dance videos on YouTube, and mentally choreograph popular tracks. However, by the time I was home I was too tired to execute it. That was when I decided to take up dance as a full-time career. The response has been phenomenal so far! My YouTube family is now 50K strong and celebrities share my dance videos - all this in a year; it couldn't have been better.
How do you use social media to further your career? 
The first official video I posted on my channel was on the song Kala Chashma. The video hit 2.9 million views, and I was associated with the song everywhere I went. For instance, people from other countries were messaging in and telling me that they danced on the song for a wedding. I owe my dance identity to the song and so I decided to call myself 'Kala Chashma girl', in order to connect better with my audience. Now that I have established audience, I changed my social media identity to @nidhikumardance, so that people know me for all my work and not just one performance.
How challenging is it to generate viral content? 
Creating viral content is not as easy as it looks; a lot of research is required. In my field, I definitely need to be up to date with new songs. I also ensure I release a video within the week of release. 
What is the final goal here? 
My aim is to keep growing in the field of dance, establish my own academy in Dubai, and then, expand worldwide. I currently conduct occasional workshops and private lessons for aspiring dancers. Eventually, I'd like to choreograph songs for Bollywood. My motto is simple: You can't be happy for the rest of your life doing what you don't love.

An Arabian dance trend

The Dabke is a traditional folk dance performed in the Levant region - Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, and northern Saudi Arabia. The dance has been around since the 1800s. The Internet, however, took notice of the dance form only recently and has churned its own quirky versions, creating the #DabkeChallenge. The way it is performed may remind you of the age-old 'Ring a Ring o' Roses' nursery rhyme. Groups of people stand in lines or a circle formation, and link arms or hold hands. The leader of the line switches between facing the audience and the other dancers. It is usually performed at weddings and big social gatherings.
Houses in the Levant were built with stone whereas the roof was made of straw, wood, and dirt. In an attempt to compact the dirt roof, people stomped down on the dirt. The Dabke was originally a simple trick to ease this task and make it fun.
The Dabke dance was given interesting twists and started to become the dance without which parties are incomplete. It transformed into the #DabkeChallenge when a group of Lebanese men in Australia decided to take the dance form a notch higher (literally) by climbing up the wall while performing it.
The dance has been performed in the past to mark various events and festivals in the UAE. Malls and other landmarks in the UAE have featured a variety of heritage entertainment acts such as, henna art and Arabic dances such as Ayala, tannoura and dabke to celebrate Eid Al Adha and the National Day.

A Dubai fave: Flash mobs

Flash mobs take over the Internet in no time. Ideally, a flash mob is a 'sudden' assemblage or appearance of groups of persons that break into an unusual act at an unexpected time. 
The first flash mob ever was an unsuccessful one. It was scheduled to take place at a Macy's store in Manhattan in 2003, organized by the senior editor of Harper's Magazine. However, it backfired as the store discovered the plan. 
The idea of a flash mob is to draw attention of a large crowd. And, malls seem like the ideal place to do just that. The Mall of the Emirates conducted a creative and successful flash mob with du's 'Fly for Free' campaign in 2015. A trend gave way to another trend at The Dubai Mall with a Gangnam Style flash mob in 2012. A Sino-Arab flash mob against the Burj Khalifa during the Chinese New Year celebrations in 2016 drew crowds in.
Over the years, flash mobs have arguably become the coolest marketing strategy to garner an audience, spread awareness or merely make an announcement. Dubai has stylishly celebrated festivals, kicked off campaigns, and inaugurated fairs, all through flash mobs. The UAE's airports have become popular spots as well. Last year, passengers arriving in from Pakistan and India were treated to a heartwarming flash mob at the Abu Dhabi International Airport on their respective Independence Days. In 2015, the Dubai Shopping Festival was celebrated by 30 international dancers with a flash mob at the Dubai International Airport. 

Left feet? Not a chance

Melodica Music & Dance Institute
The instructors prep you to ensure your ballet skills are en pointe, and on point. The institute is registered with RAD Ballet; an internationally recognised exam. 
Shake a leg at: Mazaya Business Avenue (JLT), Al Furjan Pavillon, Wasl Vita Mall, and the Golden Mile Galleria 1, Palm Jumeirah.
SHIAMAK
Turn into a 'Shiamakite' and join the world's largest Bollywood dance academy. Thumkas, anyone?
Shake a leg at: Al Diyafah School, Dubai International Academy, and Jebel Ali Recreational Club, and WAFI Mall, among other areas.
Step N Groove Dance Studio
Bboying and locking are some of the styles you can master here. Enroll and be part of fun flash mobs and Step N Groove's annual live performance, Revive. 
Shake a leg at: Al Riffa Plaza, Bur Dubai and Platinum Business Center, Al Nahda
Fitness First
Plyometric jumps and anaerobic endurance will be more than just jargon once you enroll yourself in a zumba class. The first trial class is on them! Don't wait! 
Shake a leg at: Fitness First branches across the UAE
James & Alex Dance Studios
Embrace contemporary dance just like it's done in the movies.
Shake a leg at: Concord Tower, Dubai Media City

Moves that went viral

A traffic cop who moonwalks 
Ranjeet Singh, a 'moonwalking traffic cop' in India made traffic fun and took over social media with over 50,000 followers. He directed the traffic at an intersection in Indore by waltzing his instructions. 
Nianna Gurerro: The Despacito girl
2017 was the year of Despacito, and the year of Nianna Guerrero, an Internet sensation, who owes her fame to the song. When Nianna's brother, Ranz, asked his sister to dance on the song, she did at the drop of a hat. He recorded her moves whenever (and wherever) she did. 
Dance while seated in your car
Three people. One car. Road trip, you may think. Popular trio SketchSHE did something different and gave way to a trend while seated in their car in 2015. Soon, the Internet created different versions of the 'mime through time'. 
A dancing policeman 
A Deputy sheriff in North Carolina broke into an impromptu dance with a young boy whom he met while waiting for his car to get fixed, early last year. The police department shared the video and captioned it, "We do more than tickets". 
The Indian 'Cheap Thrills' bride
Amisha Bhardwaj turned an important day of her life into a trend when she danced on Sia's Cheap Thrills as she got ready for her wedding last year. The unconventional video attempted to look in the face of bride stereotypes and challenge them. 

Dance Crews: Here to stay

What began as the labour of love of the students of BITS Pilani, Dubai in 2015, has now branched out as an independent hip hop dance crew, whose members identify themselves as Monster Crew. They have represented the UAE in a street dance competition in Australia and bagged the first position in reality show Dance+ 2 UAE.
Yet another university production, Hardeep Singh started Pure Bhangra with a regular day job. He realised that dance, rather bhangra (a Punjabi folk dance) was his calling after an audition at university. The crew was featured in Farah Khan's Happy New Year; majority of which was shot in the UAE. "It was initially decided that we star as a competing team in the movie. However, that changed when the crew realised there need not be two Indian teams, and we were roped in as background dancers," says Hardeep. After carving their identity as a professional dance crew in the past eight years, Showstoppers launched their own dance studio. They conduct corporate and wedding choreography, and rope in celebrity choreographers to train students. 
Nrithyanganas is an up and coming lyrical kathak crew that was formed in November 2017, and bases itself on the guru-shishya (teacher-student) relationship, led by Vishaka Verma.  Despite their busy schedules, different lifestyles and backgrounds, they come together over their passion for dance. OverBoys All Stars took their love for b-boying or breaking to the stage with Arabs Got Talent, NSA Dubai World Series Finals, and other major events in the UAE. They were also a part of a Telegu music video that was shot in Dubai.

Screen inspiration

Dance with Madhuri
Madhuri Dixit Nene is synonymous with dance and elegance in India. She reaches out to aspiring dancers across the globe through tutorials - both self taught and by her own team of choreographers.
Mandy Jiroux
Get in the groove with the help of the YouTuber's step-by-step tutorials on popular tracks and get party ready!
Andrea Wilson
Learn how to 'Juju on that beat' and move 'side to side', and 'break free' with a new dance tutorial every Wednesday. 
Live to Dance with Sonali
With a different costume and setting for every tutorial, this channel teaches you the moves to popular and viral songs. Check out the Ultimate Bollywood Dance Mashup 2017. 
Addicted2Salsa
Drag a plus one into a virtual class and master the basics of salsa together. Let your screen be your guru. 

Ditch the gym

If you enjoy dancing and you're looking to burn some calories, dance is the way to go. Ballroom dancing has been recognised as a genre of dance that strengthens and tones muscles in the calves and thighs. Tango, it has been observed, will help you get rid of the slouchy posture you've probably always been asked to improve. Similarly, the fast-paced sequences in salsa help maintain a good posture and to burn some calories, it is said. In general, some of the reported health benefits of dance are, improved heart and lungs condition, better endurance and strength, weight loss and management, and stronger bones that results in the prevention or reduced chance of osteoporosis.
Zumba has evolved into a popular dance workout, and is believed to aid abs and thighs toning. 
"Dance fitness is an excellent cardio workout and can help burn calories real fast. As you become more proficient, you would have to incorporate other exercises into the regime, along with the cardio workout," says Revathi Subramaniam, Zumba Instructor, Namaste Yoga. 
disha@khaleejtimes.com

Nidhi Kumar rekindles her passion for dance through her social media handle @nidhikumardance

Pure Bhangra was featured in the movie Happy New Year as background dancers.