Ayushi Amrute, one of the OG waacking artistes in India, on the Dance Your Style World Finals, her craft and lots more!

Dancer, VJ, MC and absolute darling — Ayushi Amrute is one of those people we don’t blame anyone for having a crush on. A bundle of energy, she also epitomises what a good movement artiste should be about — technique, solid base in an art form and an unquenchable love for freedom in thought, style and presentation. We first spotted her at Red Bull Dance Your Style last year in Mumbai and were more than excited to see her as one of the hosts at the World Finals that kicks off tomorrow. We catch up with the Mumbai-based dancer and host to talk dance, waacking, being a part of this mega event and so much more…

You are one of India’s OG waackers and we know you also perform in other styles — but how did all this begin?

I think in terms of dancing, I was always in that space because of my mother and my cousins, who adore dancing. My family was already into theatre on my mum’s side and so dancing was always around me. I was obsessed with Bollywood songs while growing up. All the steps, you name it and I used to know it. Later, cut to college and the first thing I saw when I entered was a bunch of dancers and they were just doing all this interesting stuff. I was like what is this, I was so attracted to it, I fell in love immediately and I just made my mind up that as soon as I am done with my admissions, I have to be a part of this dance college group. That is how my journey began. I started off with breaking and then moved later to freestyle hip hop and then finally to waacking.

Both breaking and freestyle hip hop have so many more takers, but you decided to pursue waacking, a fledgling dance movement and style in comparison — what made you choose this dance form over others and then stick to it long enough to now be considered one of the OG Indian waackers?

What caught my attention about waacking was there is no aggression. Even if there is some aggression it is put forth so beautifully. There is something very aesthetic and beautiful about it and the other thing is the music. I fell in love with disco thanks to waacking and then I was like: disco is my true calling! With waacking what happens is the emotions play a much higher role in your body movement. There is no particular vocabulary when it comes to waacking, there are a few basic moves but unlike most other street dance styles, there are no complicated moves broken down into lists and you can honestly do what you want once you get the base sorted.

Has your love for Indian dance — Bollywood and classical — also influenced how you present waacking?

I honestly feel that where you are influences everything about you a lot, right? Especially when it comes to your art form. So, if say I am in India, of course my Bollywood roots are going to come out. Once you’ve got a solid base, then you are free to experiment. You got the base, you got the root structure. Then you add your masala. One of the most important things that really attracted me towards street styles was the freedom and yes my classical training also finds itself in my personal style of waacking.

What do you hope for waacking n the years to come?

I want it to grow in such a way that everybody is respected. In terms of social growth, I feel like it’s anyway going to happen. But when it comes to sustaining the dance for generations, I want it to last as long as it can. I really want people to find some part of themselves with waacking. Like how hip hop is seen as a lifestyle beyond and above the dance, I think waacking is also a lifestyle. I also feel like it’s the perfect artform for anyone who feels like they aren’t able to express themselves fully.

The Dance Your Style World Finals kick off tomorrow and you have been with the property since they launched in India — how has your journey been?

Dance Your Style has been so special for me. It came to India for the very first time in 2021. The presentation has always been so good. The team is amazing. Why I really like working with Dance Your Style is the way they treat the dancers and the way they give us a stage and give us the platform that we want. It’s done in a very authentic way. They’ve established themselves as people who take this seriously. You come here and you represent your own style. The audience being the judge is also something that I really like. So, no matter what dance style you do, your job is to purely entertain the crowd with your skills. I really love the format and I feel like year on year, it just keeps getting better.

How excited are you about tomorrow’s finals?

How excited am I for the biggest street dance event of the year, you ask? A lot, to say the least! I’ve had the privilege of hosting the dance-off since its very first edition in 2021 and seeing the World Final now coming to India is beyond words. What I’m most thrilled about is seeing dancers from all over the world come to battle in our own city, amchi Mumbai.

How will you be a part of the event?

I’ll be hosting all five days of the Dance Your Style World Final —  especially the pre-finals alongside Jimmy Yudat, as well as the World Final live stream on JioTV. Hosting the live stream brings its own unique challenge: reaching out to a large audience, many of whom may be new to the world of street dance or have never seen a live street dance battle. Connecting with them in the right way is key and I’m all for it because I know they’ll be hooked watching these dancers go all out to unexpected beats!

Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final kicks off tomorrow night at 7pm. At National Sports Club of India, Mahalakshmi, Mumbai. Limited passes available online.  

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