Dance to conjugal bliss

Marriages are made in heaven. On Earth, Indian couples, unlike the times gone by, are now celebrating the big occasion with a jig on the dance floor

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Mona

When the newly wed Mr and Mrs Clooney danced to Cole Porter’s Why Shouldn’t I, trust us that was an idea sure to be adapted, replicated in this part of the world too…the first dance sure is one sought-after part of a Christian wedding! But as cultural, geographical borders blur, the couple dance is registering a magnanimous presence even in Indian weddings albeit with a difference.

Kritika and Ashish Tyagi entered their married life with not one but two numbers — Sajde Kiye Hain Laakhon and Tenu Leke Main Javanga on their D-day. Their dance numbers were the high of the wedding, as was the ‘family’ dance medley on the ring ceremony. “It was an initiative by Kritika and this happy girl gathered all her family to practice the special dance,” shares choreographer Gagan who prepared the family for the dance of the evening. Everyone, right from the bride’s old and young cousins to uncles, aunts and parents were part of the dance prior to the wedding. “Even though the bride’s mother had a plaster on her leg, she was a sport and did her part,” exclaims Gagan, who prepared the couple for their wedding dance in just two sessions.

While London Thumakada is the hot favourite when it comes to weddings, it’s each couple to their own. “Each couple is so different from the other; this I have realised getting a number of them, for their first dance, right,” says Jasmeet Kaur Shan, founder DanceDacha. “There is a huge demand, almost every other day I have an inquiry for the wedding dance,” shares Jasmeet, who amongst the many that she worked on enjoyed a destination wedding in Goa the most. “This couple even flew us - the choreographers - to Goa. It was fantastic with the number of props and twists that were part of that memorable dance.”

Rahul and Shalini sizzled on the dance floor on their reception night on the well-rehearsed Khuda Jaane Ke. If some bride wants to enter matrimony on a romantic note, there are others who want to say a grateful bye bye too.

Ishleen like every girl wanted her D-day to be special; now that she was going to get a new family, along with her husband Aparajit Khurana, she had planned a surprise for the parents and siblings. “We had planned three numbers — Maa, Meri Maa, Pyaari Maa for the mums from Dasvidaniya; Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi for the dads and Jaane Kyon …I'll be alright from Dostana for my brother and his sister,” says the bride who got hitched on February 8, “And, our families had no whiff of it,” says Ishleen, who along with her hubby practiced the dance moves with help from choreographer Jasmeet.

“The trend has really caught on,” admits choreographer Puneet Jewandah. “And, it’s not just huge family sagas anymore. There are brides as well as grooms who want to be in the limelight,” he adds. Marriages sure are rocking all the more!

mona@tribunemail.com