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Dance is here, dance is there, dance is everywhere!!! Everybody acknowledges dance as a fun and happy activity to indulge in; it’s an integral part of most cultures, their rituals and their celebrations. But when it comes to pursuing dance as a profession, most artists don’t get the support they deserve unless they come from an art-promoting family. So when we heard of this young man who comes from a conservative family that thrives in the textile industry, but has made a career as a well-known choreographer, we had to interview him! Meet Nikhil Dhingra, who runs a dance academy called Vibes in Surat. His journey has seen many twists and turns, but one thing that remained constant was his passion to create and dance!
A Dance Enthusiast Wrapped Up In Textile Industry
Born and brought up in Ganor, a small town in Haryana, Nikhil shifted to Surat at a very young age because of his father’s textile business. Since childhood, he would look for every opportunity to dance and to choreograph. As a child, he started dancing right from when he was 2-3 years old!
After moving to Surat, Nikhil realised that dance as a career was looked down upon. He says,
“While I was confused about taking dance as a career, I was also very conscious about asking for money from my father. With that confusion in my heart, I just started working for ICICI credit cards, distributing leaflets outside a mall, while getting my hands on any job for some funds. Then I moved to Pune for a BCom degree, but due to a critical financial crisis in my father’s business, I had to come back.”
He adds, “After moving to Surat, I tried to fit into the textile industry, but couldn’t. So finally, after getting exhausted, I gathered some courage and told my father that the only thing I am passionate about and have always been, is dance! At first, he got angry and said that no one in our family has ever danced for a living. Even all my cousins and extended families were in the textile business, so there was no one I could turn towards for some understanding. So I asked my father to give me one chance and one year to prove myself! After a lot of persuasion, he agreed. That 1 year and the 1.5 L of loan turned out to be my ticket to the life I had always wanted.”
Starting Off A Career In Dance With VIBES
In spite of such initial ups and downs, Nikhil Dhingra managed to open his first dance studio! How does such a dream turn into a reality, we wondered out loud. He says,
“The first 6-8 months after opening Vibes was very tough. There were very few people who could understand dance as a profession, far from them really learning it for everyday peace and fun. Though slowly this perspective got changed and people started respecting it. I think the perspective shifted because it is after all connected to “teaching” and no one is supposed to degrade a teacher, right?”
He further shares, “In those tough times, my mother always supported me. In spite of her own limitations, she always said, ‘If you are doing something you are passionate and competent about, then you will get success.’ Her motivation and optimism always gave me immense strength.”
Working a 9-5 job is synonymous to a lot of pressure these days. In such context, how does a person find strength to work for endless number of hours in such a challenging situation!? We asked Nikhil this, to which he says,
“A lot of people complain that they are tired because there is too much work. But for me, if I don’t come to my dance studio, I feel tired. Working as a choreographer doesn’t feel like work to me; it brings me so much joy. When you’re passionate about something, it doesn’t tire you, it energises you! Yet another thing that keeps me going is knowing in my heart that I am able to offer my best quality to other people, especially to children. I want to be a ‘giver’ and contribute more than I consume! For me, giving is fun, dancing is fun; it just makes my life a whole lot happier and more positive. In fact that’s where the name Vibes comes from- positive and happy vibes!”
Giving Dance Lessons & Learning Life Lessons Through Dance!
From shifting careers to cities to mindsets, where did all the perseverance come from? When asked about this strong willed dedication, Nikhil says,
“The only thing that has helped me really is the struggle I faced in my growing years. Today I thank my father for it. If, at that time, he had given me everything I needed readily, then I wouldn’t have worked hard enough to be this today! Without him, I probably wouldn’t have been so stubborn about my passion for dance. Even though my education is not really relevant to what I am doing right now, the exposure and the knowledge I gained through my journey of achieving my dream taught me everything I needed to know! It taught me to believe in myself, which is not a common trait when you come from a very conservative background.”
Through Vibes, Nikhil teaches dance to people of all ages! He says, “I am always looking for an opportunity to conduct or attend a dance workshop to learn and expand my horizons. I also take up wedding choreography as freelance projects. Of late, even corporate people have started using dance as a stress buster. One of my current projects is with AUDI, in their Surat, Ahmedabad, and Baroda branches, where I will get to jazz with tired representatives and vent off some heat!”
Choreography And Dance – Same Or Different?
Before pursuing many careers, there are multiple tests one has to take. We were curious what are the requirements to become a good dancer. Nikhil says, “One very important quality for anyone who wants to be a choreographer is to understand the difference between becoming a good choreographer and becoming a good dancer. It’s not necessary for a choreographer to be the best dancer, same as how it’s not necessary for a dancer to be a good choreographer. Interested people should ask themselves whether they want to dance more or create more! A good choreographer creates a beautiful routine by understanding their dancers, while good dancers present this choreography even more beautifully. Even though they go hand in hand, they are distinct and different.”
He further adds,
“One more quality that really helps is to have an imaginative mind. I believe imagination comes very naturally. When it comes to my choreography, I never practice them at home or studio, I create it in the imagination of my mind and then execute it in the studio. It’s quite a lot of mental work! I also feel that creativity gets enhanced with time but if there is no imagination at all, how do you create a dance routine? Another quality that really helped me is the ability to understand and create a routine that is in alignment with my audience’s preference. A good choreographer must understand that not everybody is going to understand your choreography, and that’s not your problem. You either find the right routine for the given audience or find the right audience for your dance routine!”
Rewards And Responsibilities
Learning about challenges that comes along in the career of a choreographer, we were also intrigued to know about the rewards. Nikhil shares, “My biggest reward is this feeling of happiness and contentment I feel at the end of each day! Dance is about learning to be more united, passionate and devoted, and when I see kids growing and learning this through varied themes, it’s my biggest reward.”
He continues, “Having this big community of followers now, I feel it’s my responsibility to create social impact for the betterment of the community. Every year, I make sure my annual shows are based around a theme close to my heart, which add some value to the people attending my shows. Till now we have done shows on emotions, patriotism, life, cleanliness, parents and so many more such themes. I can’t wait to do more!”
Talking about his future plans, he adds, “My plan is to learn more, attend more workshops and give as much as I can through Vibes. Growing the number of studios is not how I work as it doesn’t seem fair to me. In fact there was a time in the past when I had 8 studios in Surat. But as I developed a deeper understanding of this, I understood that my personal touch cannot be offered by someone else under my banner, and it’s not fair to the audience when their expectations don’t match.”
Takeaway – Habits That Help
“Getting up early in the morning is one of the habits that has worked for me. The morning freshness helps me concentrate. Meeting new people also helps a lot. Whenever I met someone, I’ve always learned something new from them. Spending time on my imagination enhances my choreography so I also make time for that.”
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