Belly dancing is a dance form that makes anyone who dances look sexy, exotic, powerful and unattainable. Most women and some men(who Belly dance) would agree with that fact. The dance form has its folkloric origin in the Middle East although it is difficult to trace its exact roots.The traditional belly dance is divided into two. The first, Raqs Baladi, is a social dance performed during festive occasions and the second form, which is quite popular in the around the world is called Raqs Sharqi.

The Raqs Sharqi form of Belly dance is a relatively very new in India and is catching up fast. Belly dance in India has been surrounded by glamor, misconception and at times bore the brunt of the morally imperfect moral police. Here is the extraordinary story of Meher Malik, a bold, passionate young woman, who has over come all the odds to set up her own dancing establishment in Delhi which concentrates mostly on Belly dance. Her dance school is called as Banjara. The word Banjara translates to gypsy – a word given to travellers who lead a nomadic lifestlye. She says somewhere within every artist is a gypsy – always searching for more, an inspiration, a story. Let’s hear her speak.

1. Why Belly dancing?

   Ans: Well, I didn’t choose Belly dance, it chose me. Having already lived in the Middle East for 17 years, the exposure was huge. I’ve watched Belly dance performances at parties, weddings and on various other occasions. I thought it was a beautiful dance form and I remember telling myself that when I grow up I would learn this dance form. I was always interested in dancing, belly dance happened by chance. I was learning by seeing videos, when I was 14. I went on a school trip to Egypt at 15 and that was when I started getting serious about it. And finally at 17, I attended my first class by an Israeli teacher.

2. Where did you learn and who did you train under?

   Ans: I have learnt in Paris, London and India. I started with Michal from Israel and then went to study with Madame Leila Haddad in Paris and then I traveled to various dance festivals and workshops across the world.                                                                                                                    

3. Usually, I ask this question in end but here it would make more sense. What were the difficulties and challenges that you faced in India? There are a lot of misconceptions about Belly dance, could you throw some light into this?

   Ans: Yes, of course. There were many horrible experiences with men asking you unethical questions like “What more can you give us?” “Does this package include everything?” I have let go of many corporate deals because I refused to work on unethical terms. Money doesn’t come first to me but my morale and self esteem does. I maintain strict work ethics. I have also had experiences with parents accusing me of teaching this vulgar dance to girls. I have been patient and repeatedly told my story and the history of belly dance over and over again. Due to this attitude of people, I only perform artistic stage shows and very selected corporate shows. I do only 1 event in 2 months as I think that the Indian audience is not yet ready to accept Belly dance only as a dance form. They need to understand it first and then they will appreciate it.

4. What is Banjara all about?

   Ans: Banjara is an art project. It is a place where people can express ideas even the ones that they are ashamed of. Banjara is all about overcoming insecurities and becoming one with the body, gaining spiritual satisfaction through wholesome understanding of the body and mind.We started by promoting a lot of different dance forms but now we are only going to promote activities that have still maintained their beauty and serenity and are extremely rare. We are presently focusing on Belly dance and other classical and Indian folk dance forms.                       
   

5. You were very young and with no prior business expertise, how did you set up Banjara?                           Ans: I had my dad’s support, who has an experience of working with some very big MNC’s .I mostly handle the creative aspect of it but my dad guides me through the whole administrative and financial aspect. He always has great ideas.

6. What is your business model and who is your target segment?

   Ans: Well our business model is mostly set up on a franchise model and we work with different brand names to run our classes and pay them a cut of our classes. Our goal is to have a centre in every nook and corner of the NCR and eventually branch out to Mumbai and Calcutta. We also have our Banjara main studio and thats where all the creative choreographies happen. We currently have classes running in all four zones of Delhi. After 3 years of being in the market, we know that our target segment upper middle class and the affluent section of society. But we are trying our best to mainstream it into the middle class society and also for men and children.

7. Where do you see yourself and Banjara in the next 5 years?

   Ans: I see Banjara spreading across at least three states and becoming India’s biggest name in Belly dance. I see myself traveling to teach at various festivals, to teach a style that i have been working on myself. I don’t have a name for it as yet but hopefully by then I would have created a new style.

   

8. Tell us about your stint with India’s Got Talent. Was there a message that you wanted to tell to the general masses?

   Ans: I was on the show but it not because I like being on TV. Honestly I hate it, the attention is suffocating. I participated in the show because I think that in a country like India, people do what they see on TV. They just do or learn what they think is in fashion. So I thought, if i could spread a good image of Belly dance through television and get more people to believe in it. I think, it has made a difference to people who were first skeptical of taking Belly dance classes but now they have stepped out to learn.

9. What is it that you would like to tell to anyone who wants to learn Belly dance?

   Ans: I would tell them to be patient with their bodies, respect their bodies and not crib about how they have an extra inch of fat. The body is as a temple. The body has to be feed well, rested well, exercised well. And one also has to be very hardworking and open to ideas and criticism.

10. Finally, what is your dance philosophy?

    Ans: My philosophy is to learn a beautiful lifestyle through dance. Religion is one way of attaining god, dance is another way.

Contact Details: 

Phone : + 91 989 985 1475

Email :

mehermalik@hotmail.com

meher@bellydancingindia.comAddress: Banjara studio,

A-62, Shivalik, New Delhi

Website : http://www.bellydancingindia.com/

Salsa is one of the fastest spreading Latin dance forms in India. Everybody has heard about it. Everybody wants to do it! Salsa in Spanish means sauce, a rather spicy sauce. It also hints at a “mixture” of ingredients which had made it spicy. Salsa is more than just a dance form. Some say that it a magic drug which improves the quality of your life. Lets just say that it is subject to interpretation and it is a very accommodating dance form,which generously imbibes into itself, the styling from a lot of dance forms across the world.

Having said that, let me introduce to John Anthony, Founder & CEO and his Latino Rhythms Dance Academy based in Bangalore, India that specializes in Salsa and other dance forms like Jive, Bachata, Rueda de Casino and Cha-Cha. He has made a business establishment out of what he loves the most, dance!

Latino Rhythms Dance Academy was founded in 2005 and has seen close to 1500 students in the past 4 years. John admits that it is no easy task to build a dance school right from the scratch when the odds against them. Now that Latino Rhythms is comfortably established, he has big plans for his dance school and his students. By 2012, he wants to see his students perform at the International Salsa Congress that happen all over the world. He also plans to tie-up with various well established Latin dance school in the US for mutually beneficial exchange programs. Yes! He is very ambitious but already has chartered plans to achieve his goals for the dance school. And most of us know that without passion and ambition, nothing much can be achieved.

This was what John Anthony had to tell  India Startup Diary:

1. How did you get interested in dancing? Did you at that point in time see that you will be having a dance school in the future?

   Ans : I started as just a stress buster, never ever dreamt that I would have a school

2. What is your dance philosophy?

   Ans :When you have feet to walk , you can definitely dance.

3. How did Latino Rhythms come into being and how big is your school right now?

   Ans : The idea sprung when I choreographed a routine for my colleagues in an office party which went on to become a big hit. My confidence grew and I started teaching people who were not my colleagues. From then, there was no stopping.

4. India is still young when it comes to Latin dance forms. Whom did you train under?

   Ans: I started learning Jive under Prithvi and Ree from Rock Around the Clock Dance Academy. I was later drawn to Salsa and was under Richard Tholoor from Lourd Vijay’s Dance Studio. Dancing beyond a point is how you interpret the music and improvise on what you have learnt. I am mostly self taught and I have learnt most of my techniques and styling by watching a lot of dance videos.

5. Who is your target segment?

   Ans :Corporates and students. We are working on a lot of programs for college students, host parties at popular clubs, provide student discounts,conduct workshops and so on.

6. How is it going so far and where do you see yourself and Latino Rhythms in 2 years time? Ans: So far, so good, Latino Rhythms in the next 2 years for sure, will be one of the best dance academies in India. In the future, we would not only concentrate on Latin dance forms but also on other dance forms and fitness activities like Bollywood, Hip Hop , Belly Dancing, Ballet, Yoga, Kick Boxing, Aerobics and so on.

7. What are the challenges that you face currently and how do you plan to overcome them?

   Ans:Its always a challenge to get more youngsters involved in dance , especially Salsa because it takes a little longer to learn and needs a whole lot of patience.

8. Finally, what do you have to tell to a person who wants to dance ?

   Ans : Just dance no matter what, don’t ever be bothered about who is watching you. Just take on the floor and enjoy. Some have a natural rhythm and learn faster and some are little slower in learning but eventually everyone does learn. Dance is not rocket science so learn it. Salsa is not just a dance form , but it also something that can help you with a lot of things like  improving your concentration skills, being confident, basic discipline, widening your thought process and kill the stress..

    

   Contact details:

   email jalatino@gmail.com,

   phone: +91 98454 33370

   website : www.latinorhythms.in

Author’s note : Watch out next week for Part 3 of 4 of this series!

Dancing…

Dancing, everybody loves dancing. Some of us are natural dancers, some of us are trained dancers, some of us are dressing-room-mirror dancers and some of us can only dance after five shots of tequila. Then there are some who stand out. They are the ones who have turned their love for dancing into world class dancing business establishments. They are young, energetic, vivacious dancers who are also smart business people. There are a less than a handful in India and they are the ‘League of the Extraordinary Dancing Entrepreneurs’.

Having said that, Mumbai based Karma Salsa guru Kaytee Namgyal and his Salsa India dance school has to be introduced. Many are ready to swear by his unique ‘Karma-Salsa’. Salsa India has seen more than 5000 enthusiastic students falling in love with Salsa, several of whom, after having learnt from Kaytee, have taken up Salsa as their profession. So what is Karma Salsa? ‘Karma’ is Kaytee’s real name. Karma-Salsa as Kaytee describes with passion, is all about musicality, body movement and dancing through one’s body, mind and soul, in a dancer’s interpretation and representation of the instruments being played and feel of the music. Dancing is as individualistic as the dancer’s personality, so is Karma-Salsa synonymous with Kaytee’s panache and energetic yet fluid style.

This is what Kaytee Namgyal, Founder and Director of Salsa India had to tell about what he does about his love of dancing.

1. How did your affair with Salsa begin and how did Salsa India come into being?

ANS: Salsa began in the year 2000 when I was visiting my cousins in Tokyo. I fell in love with the music when I was at a Salsa Bar in Tokyo. It was the music that drove me to Salsa. Salsa India started when I came back to India and decided to spread my love for Salsa across India.

 2. When you started out, India would not have had anyone teaching Salsa. From where did you learn and from whom did you learn?

ANS: I had my professional training in LA and NY. I trained with Luis Vasquez, Eddie Torres, Frankie Martinez and many others from around the world. After learning with some of the biggest names in the world I started experimenting with my own styles and here I am with Karma Salsa- an unique style.

3 Who is the team behind ‘Force Kaytee’?

ANS: All my faculty at Salsa India. They are the reason why Salsa India is still strong and on top. I give full credit to my heart whose decision I don’t question.

 4. Is Salsa the only dance form that you teach?

ANS: I teach Mambo, Street Cha Cha, Zouk Love, Kizomba, K-Style Bachata, Hip Hop Salsa, Disco,Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary and Meringue besides Salsa

5.How is the salsa scene in India and how different is your school from the other dance schools in India?

 ANS: Salsa Scene in India is growing at a fast pace and it still has to go a long way. At Salsa India musicality and technique are the most important. I emphasize on music as the core to dancing and style as well. For me its all about “Different Music, Different Style”. A dancer needs to be versatile. I teach people about the way of life through music.

6. What is your revenue model?

ANS: Work on getting results, rest will all follow. My model in business is to make my customers happy and stay away from their personal life.

7. Who is your target segment?

ANS: Everyone whose minds are open to learning new things.

8. Tell us about the challenges that your dance school faces on a day to day basis and what are risks involved in the dancing business.

ANS: The challenge is to see that every student of mine gets good. My mission is to make every student of mine good at what they have come for. Risks in the dancing business is your health, need to update to be on top from time and again and so on.

9. How is it going so far and where do you see yourself and Salsa India in 2 years time?

ANS: Salsa India is doing very well with centers in Delhi, DLF, Kolkata, Bombay, Pune and Bangalore. Salsa India is the only company in India who gets invited to at least two International Salsa Congresses world wide to teach and perform. In two years from now Salsa India will have its branch in Europe as well.

10. Your dance clothing line that was launched recently, was in the papers. Tell us more about it.

ANS: Since I am into fashion and I tailor make most of my clothes I thought why not spread that love to others too. Since people always ask me where I buy my clothes I thought why not make my clothes available to others so here I am, venturing into another aspect of live. Following my heart again.

11. Finally, what do you have to tell to a person who wants to dance?

ANS: Dance to express and not to impress. Dance from the heart. any one can be a good dancer, its just a matter of time.

Contact details:

www.salsa-india.com
info@salsa-india.com
MUMBAI-PUNE:+91-98203-62629, +91-98333-SALSA(72572)
DELHI:+91-98112-22186, +91-97111-SALSA(72572)
KOLKATA: +91-99038-28223
BANGALORE: +91-97428- SALSA (72572)

Author’s note : Watch out next week for another exciting Extraordinary Dancing Entrepreneur No.2

Green livelihood (http://www.bamboohouseindia.org/home.asp) is a Social Enterprise with an aim of utilizing bamboo as an economic driver for providing sustainable livelihood opportunities to rural & tribal artisans in the bamboo sector through business models designed to work at the base of the economic pyramid, and promote bamboo as an eco-friendly substitute to wood, steel, iron & plastic.

Bamboo and bamboo products have many environment friendly characteristics, and can be used as substitutions in many situations and in turn generate livelihoods.
Bamboo House India, a social enterprise, was established by two First Generation Entrepreneurs, Aruna Kappagantula & Prashant Lingam in the year 2008 with an aim of using Bamboo as an economic driver for providing sustainable livelihood opportunities to rural & tribal artisans in the Bamboo sector through market linkages.

BHI is striving to create chain of bamboo showrooms across the country which shall promote & market all bamboo based products under one roof starting from Bamboo pen to Bamboo Housing Structures. Purpose is to create a long term sustainable non -migratory business model for rural and tribal artisans in the Bamboo sector by using locally available raw material i.e. bamboo and develop contemporary life style products to suit the market tastes and demand rather than age old basketry items.

Check out their online store it’s very impressive. They have a bamboo solution for all our needs in everyday life, be it the plates you eat on, the spoons the bags you carry, and even houses and home décor. The designs are artistic and professional. I was amazed at the variety and quality of these products. Eco friendly, pocket friendly and trendy bamboo products are certainly an ancient solution to our modern age problems.

With everything going online your baby record journal cannot be far behind. www.hiraj.com/ helps the cause. Hiraj.com is an exciting tool for parents who want to record all those exciting steps and exciting milestones of their baby. The best part is all the information is online for your baby to cherish and share it once they grow up.

Hiraj.com is more like your baby record book. You can maintain growth chart, health chart, create photo albums, photo collages et al. All this and more with a social networking feature added to this. The concept is very good. But the challenge is to create a community. I don’t think even indiaparenting.com has an online baby record book. Correct me if wrong.