International Men’s Day Special: These dancers are redefining the artform through their powerful self expressions
Dance has long been a powerful medium of self-expression, transcending boundaries and uniting cultures. For years, it has been seen as an art form where both men and women can showcase their creativity, skill, and emotion. However, when it comes to male dancers, their roles and representation have often been limited by societal expectations.
On this International Men's Day, we’re shining a spotlight on male dancers who are redefining the norms and carving out their own space in the dance world. From breaking free of traditional roles to blending genres and pushing boundaries, these men are leading the way with innovative performances and unique artistic visions. Their work is not just about the steps they perform but the stories they tell and the challenges they overcome. By embracing vulnerability and strength, these male dancers are paving the way for future generations to express themselves without limits or labels.
Inclusive movements
Waacking is a powerful dance form predominantly consisting of powerful hand movements, and footwork inspired by Jazz and Latin styles. This form was originated in the 1970s in the US. While this dance form celebrated femininity, Rajkumar Mehta believes that the form exudes masculine energy as much as feminine. “Some isolations and movements require a masculine touch, and I have executed that in my own way, and tried to tap into the masculine energy,” he says. Observing the lack of waacking tutors in the city, and especially male waackers, he decided to take up the form professionally, and started taking work shops. His main aim is to make this form inclusive. “While this form originated in gay clubs, it is not restricted to people of that community, it is merely a form of self-expression, and anyone who resonates with this idea can practice it.” He says that he sees a shift in how the dance community in Hyderabad perceives this idea, and says that although there is still a long way to go in terms of laymen being receptive of it, the shift has begun from the dance community and art lovers.
Dramatic dance
“As a reflection of my personality, I love adding tons of drama to my choreographies,” says Sravan Telu, a Belly dancer. The form, also known as Raqs Sharki in Africa and Middle East, was originally gender fluid. Years of change shackled the form into tames of society, and trans formed it into something performed predominantly by women. However, Sravan has explored the dance form from a male perspective, and tries to promote inclusivity in it.“We believe that this is a safe art form which allows you to express yourself as well as explore and understand your own body. When we dance, there are aspects of your body you discover through the process, and this cannot be restricted by gender or body type,” he says. When he moved to Hyderabad a few years back, and attended open level workshops of this form, he realised the lack of awareness and tutors for it. During the COVID pandemic, his dance company decided to open a Belly dancing school where he started teaching the form and adding his own elements of drama; “There is no looking back now,” he says.
Relatable stories
Kuchipudi, one of the eight classical dances of India is known for its storytelling. Venkata Gangadhar, disciple of Sandhya Raju, is a dancer who goes beyond the conventional stories told through the form, to convey more relevant stories which leave a mark. He believes art to be a very powerful medium to bring about a change through storytelling, and extends this to his choreographies. “The most recent choreography I am working on, Maro Prapancham talks about addiction. I saw multiple people around me, especially of my age, getting drawn to alcohol and drugs, and saw how that addiction was affecting the whole family. Through my choreography, I attempted to raise the issue, as dance is a form that transcends all language barriers,” he says. This form had a lot of male dancers approximately 50 years ago, Venkata informs us. In all these years, the way our society has changed has confined the form to a gender. “Although there is a change, even now organisers pre fer a female dancer over a male,” says Venkata while talking about the change from being bullied in school for learn ng Kuchipudi, to being appreciated for it now.
Lyrical contemporary
When you think of Ballet, a picture of graceful dancers floating on the stage to beautiful piano, comes to the mind. While this art form is immensely beautiful, like any other classical dance form, it requires rigorous training and strength, which builds a strong foundation. This is exactly what Dushyant Mohan Manyam experienced when he learnt the form. Although he was already learning contemporary, he realised the importance of having a foundation in a form like Ballet. The techniques he learnt in Ballet, he put to use in his choreographies in contemporary. “While a lot of dancers perform contemporary based on rhythm and music, I like to keep it lyrical in order to tell a story,” he says. As he saw the gap in Ballet as a form and technique in Hyderabad, he decided to start teaching it to young people.
