Born to dance

Mona

In a world where we observe no timelines, feed body more junk than it can take, and subject our body and mind to more stress than it can take, dance can come to the rescue. So believes choreographer Ashwin Pradhan.

This Himachali boy belongs to a family of Army officers. A mechanical engineer, he started early on with dance and carving his path through Boogie Woogie, India’s Got Talent and Dance India Dance, he has anchored and choreographed shows in Nepal and Malaysia. Having just completed a course in contemporary dance from Poland, Ashwin has his eyes set on winning a gold for India in World Hip Hop competition.

But all of this has only kept him connected to his roots. Running a studio in Solan, called Triveni Kala Sangam, his students are making it to reality shows and representing India on the global level in dance competitions. And, along with it, he seriously takes his share of responsibility to make this planet a better place. Among 80 of his current students, 50 are those who cannot afford the fees and not only is Ashwin teaching them dance, or paying for their school expenses but also makes sure that they are well fed.

“Dance instils disciple in life. In today’s crazy lifestyles it can work as a great leveller, giving your body the much-needed physical and mental relaxation.” As for his routine, right from 4:30 in the morning to 8:30 at night, he practises, prepares dancers for tomorrow and works out. “Dance is my life,” he says. As an insider how he sees reality shows? “Well, they are a great platform for enthusiasts like me to get together, reach out to people and make the world a happy place!”

In Chandigarh to announce the auditions for a reality Kaun Banega Star – Takkar Hunarbazzo Ki, to be aired on channel E 24, Ashwin is joined by Dipesh Sekhri, who has been running a dance studio in Chandigarh for the last 18 years. A stint on MTV’s reality show, Love Studio, has garnered him more fame and attention than all his hardwork of years did, and Dipesh cannot be happier. “I am handling auditions for Kaun Banega Star Punjab auditions and it’s a great way to find and groom potential stars.” Dance has stayed popular for city folk through the years, and what Dipesh loves is that there is no age bar when it comes to dance. “From a four-year-old to senior citizens, dance binds them all.”

The auditions for the show open to 4-year-olds to 35 are scheduled for April 29 at AKSIPS Smart School - 41 form 9am to 6pm.

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