As a pioneering force in India’s contemporary dance landscape, this dancer and entrepreneur is celebrated for transforming Bengaluru into one of the country’s most vibrant hubs for Latin and social dance. Born and raised in India’s dynamic tech city, Lourd Vijay turned an early passion into a distinguished career that spans more than two decades.
He founded Lourd Vijay’s Dance Studio (LVDS) in 1998, establishing one of the earliest and most influential platforms in the country for salsa, bachata, cha-cha, jive and tango; and introducing generations of dancers to Latin rhythm and expression. But he argues, “for some reason, Latin dancing hasn’t gained the popularity it deserves in India, perhaps because it is a foreign dance form and the language feels unfamiliar to many. Despite the country’s vast population, the scene could have been much larger. Over the past two decades, social dance parties went somewhat into a lull, but now Latin dance is experiencing a remarkable revival.”
A Guinness World Record holder for the maximum number of swing dance flips in a minute, his journey is a testament to resilience and artistic vision. He has travelled extensively across the globe — teaching, performing and championing dance as an art form.
“Many people are reluctant to invest the time required for proper training and practice; they often learn just enough to get onto the dance floor. This is partly because Bengaluru is not a highly competitive city for dancers in terms of skill. Take kizomba, for example — it is relatively easy to learn compared to salsa, with a low entry barrier. With just an hour of instruction, one can already be confident enough to dance socially. Most dancers in Bengaluru are professionals — the city being the IT capital of India means many are tech workers, entrepreneurs or have other careers, with dance serving purely as a hobby. Street dance forms like hip-hop are a different story. Here, the learners tend to be younger, highly focused, competitive and committed to rigorous practice,” he tells us.
However, at present, the most popular form of dance being pursued is west coast swing and has even managed to overtake salsa. “ Its surge in popularity is partly due to social media being flooded with videos, creating a strong market demand. It is exceptionally adaptive; it thrives on improvisation, so dancers don’t have to strictly follow rigid rules. This element of freedom intrigues newcomers, many of whom are putting considerable effort into learning it. Its novelty, combined with the creative possibilities it offers, has drawn people in and kept them engaged. Salsa remains a beloved classic, having been introduced to Bengaluru decades ago and many dancers continue to embrace it,” he elucidates.
Under his leadership, LVDS has evolved into a thriving cultural community, regularly hosting festivals and collaborations with international practitioners, while continuing to nurture talent across age groups and styles. Today, beyond the weekly or monthly courses, there is a substantial market and target audience for bootcamps and workshops, particularly for people who cannot commit to long-term classes.
“A one-day, four-hour workshop, for instance, attracts significant demand. What one might normally learn over a month can be compressed into a single day. The downside is that many participants believe that attending a boot camp is enough and don’t feel the need to explore further. On the other hand, the advantage is clear: in just four hours, you can acquire a dance form, gain sufficient confidence to hit the floor and actually dance with others. As a dance entrepreneur and teacher, my priority is to get people onto the floor as quickly as possible. Confidence and a basic set of moves are paramount because, without stepping onto the floor, progress stalls. Today’s learners often lack patience and crave immediate gratification; if they feel frustrated or slow, they lose interest. Bootcamps cater perfectly to those who simply want to learn enough to have fun on the floor, providing instant enjoyment while also planting the seed for deeper engagement,” the dancer reveals.
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