‘Koshish’ has taught an important lesson – there is a language in the world that everyone understands. It is the language of passion and of learning things with dedication and love as part of a search for something that relaxes, motivates and liberates. This language is called dance.
Fans of dance were treated to a marvellous medley of latkas and jhatkas at a recent event held at Delhi Karnataka Sangha, RK Puram. The performers were not trained dancers but grannies, mommies and kids who joined the summer workshop called ‘Koshish: Finding the Dancer Within’. Featuring a mix of Bollywood, folk and semi-classical dance styles, Richa Gupta and Bharat Singh Rajawat choreographed and instructed the participants for the show over the month-long workshop.
Breaking the monotony of a routine life, ‘Koshish’ is an attempt to instil some joy, happiness, confidence and meaning in the lives of women who get so engrossed in their families and household chores that they hardly get time for themselves. “It feels amazing to be a student once again,” said a happy participant. Music and dance proved to be the best indulgences for them, indeed!
For some, this workshop happened to be a medium to kill boredom, build confidence and feel liberated, and for the rest, a realisation of their dreams. “It’s a place that will find hidden talents and groom you like nothing else will,” said the parents of a young participant.
Richa Gupta, organiser of ‘Koshish’, sees this workshop as “a medium to connect everyone with the threads of Indian art and culture”. Richa chose Bollywood dance form over classical because she feels, “Like you cannot run before you learn to walk, similarly, you cannot develop the patience to learn a classical discipline before you fall in love with dance.” She is a splendid Kathak dancer herself. Bharat Singh Rajawat has learned dance under the tutelage of Prabhu Deva and is associated with the Regional Industry of Gujarat and many other Bollywood projects.
The performances comprised of remarkable solos, duets and group numbers. Not only did the dancers work on their technicality, but their spirit and passion for learning dance and stepping in the spotlight was something worth watching. The best part of the show was the finale performance that brought together all the teams on stage grooving along with the masters.
They are getting started with another workshop of unlimited dancing and fun, ‘Garba in the City’ from August 29 2016.
