Prabhu Deva's Premikudu might have given us iconic songs like Urvasi Urvasi and Muqabla, but it gave Bhanu Kiran a lot more than that. It made him fall in love with dance. And he has carried this love in his heart while attempting to share it with others through his own dance studio, Ekalavya Dance Studio in Jeedimetla, Hyderabad, Telangana. Two students of this self-taught artist will now compete at the international level at the Dance World Cup in Barcelona, Spain.
While the opening ceremony was on June 22, Nitin (16) and Ganesh (21) will be performing on June 27. "Their dance performance will be a tribute to the Indian Army and all the sacrifices they make for us," says 31-year-old Kiran, who started choreographing in April. The duo, who won the Dance World Cup qualifiers in Bengaluru, are now going to compete in the senior duet category, which will see participation from 2,000 dancers from over 57 countries.
Bhanu Kiran, who has performed on Telugu dance reality shows like Dance Baby Dance, tells us that their journey hasn't been easy. In spite of writing letters to government officials and visiting the Telangana Secretariat on multiple occasions, Kiran received no monetary support from officials. "Though classical dance receives support from the government, western dance has no support whatsoever. Even when we shared the news that we are one of the few selected for the Dance World Cup, there was no reaction," rues Kiran, adding that a little support can go a long way. Aside from Vanaga Ashok, the correspondent of Ashok Memorial Chanakya High School, Jagadgirigutta (where Kiran has been teaching dance for nine years), who sponsored their flight tickets, Kiran invested his own money and even took out a loan of two lakhs. That is how a group of five from the Ekalavya Dance Studio travelled to Barcelona.
But there were other hurdles that the team had to cross. Nitin had to take special permission from school to practise six hours a day and both Nitin and Ganesh were injured multiple times because of which practice sessions were hindered. But nothing could stop them. Kiran intently watched several videos to eventually come up with a choreography that would be worthy of an international platform. “I have only one wish that the performance receives a standing ovation," he says emotionally. The duo will be performing a medley of Jai Ho and other songs in a western and hip-hop style for about 2 minutes 45 seconds. And while Kiran and the team are elated, winning or losing is secondary for Kiran.
To contact Ekalavya Dance Studio, call 72071 10066
