Why is an American imitating Chandramukhi's dhrushtibheda (that's elaborate eye movements, for the uninitiated) in a mirrored room before a group of eager Indian youngsters? Lhendup G Bhutia drops in to find out
Why is an American imitating Chandramukhi's dhrushtibheda (that's elaborate eye movements, for the uninitiated) in a mirrored room before a group of eager Indian youngsters? Lhendup G Bhutia drops in to find out
The studio at EMDC (Expressions Modern Dance Company) in Dadar is like any other dance studio. Three walls are covered with mirrors, and a group of youngsters in colourful tight vests and track pants excitedly wait for the music to begin.
When Dola Re Dola from Devdas streams through the air, they move from one end of the room to another. With large leg thrusts and spins, their movements are sometimes strong, like you'd see in contemporary dance. And suddenly, a certain delicacy is injected, just like Madhuri Dixit does in the jugalbandi number with co-star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. 
The mirrors reflect a clone-like row-after-row of eager dancers. But right ahead, and leading all of them, uncannily resembling Dixit's steps and even her eye movements, is a white blonde man, dressed in a shirt and trousers. "Move your hips more, get the look of your eyes correct," he says.
The next number, Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan, sees him use his hands to imitate the act of playing the flute like Aamir Khan.
When the audio system cranks to a halt, we are compelled to speak with him in Hindi, but he says, "No, I don't understand the language, but I can understand the beauty of the songs."
Gregory Hancock is a dancer and artistic director for Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre (GHDT), a professional modern dance ensemble based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Among a sea of contemporary and ballet dance pieces, he has created a ballet on Devdas, explored the celestial love of Radha and Krishna using songs from the super-hit Hindi film, Lagaan, created another contemporary dance performance called Tollywood, using songs from Telugu hits, and a dance piece called The Sari, which, set to Estonian music, explores the tension felt by Indian women caught between modernity and old values. 
In Mumbai this fortnightu00a0 to train dance students, he says, "I love Bollywood. And whenever I get the time, I try to catch a film. The music and dance are just so beautiful."
Ten years ago, Hancock watched his first Hindi filmu00a0-- Lagaan. "Despite not understanding the language, I found it marvellous. And when I listened to the music, I couldn't help but feel that it could offer great music for contemporary dance."
After Lagaan, he watched the 1953 film Anarkali, and later Devdas and Jodha Akbar. "All these had great danceable music. I think I like period-dramas in Bollywood because the dance is more Indian classical-oriented, rather than regular numbers that tend to have a hip-hop and jazz influence. There's so much of that in the US anyway."
While in his ballet, Devdas, Hancock introduced a new character who represented fate, in Lagaan, despite just wanting to use Chale Chalo, O Paalanhaare, and Radha Kaise Na Jale, he ended up exploring the classical relationship between Krishna and Radha. "Romance and mythology are big themes in what I choose."
Perhaps that explains why he chose Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet for a dance piece. Despite having romance as its core, it's called Romeo And Juliet At The Disco, and has the Capulets and Montagues fighting over shoes. (The Capulets wear skating shoes, and the Montagues like disco shoes.)
In The Sari, which he calls his favourite, a huge unfurling sari stands at the centre of the stage behind which a woman in a pair of jeans and shirt dances. There are 12 other women dressed in saris, who do not move except for using their hands.
And then, the jeans-clad woman's dance movements turn vigorous. "I wanted to show how Indian women have a great tradition and heritage, and yet tend to feel restricted and curbed by these very traditions."
Hancock says he had Indian women in the audience meet him backstage to say "how beautifully I had told their tale."
"I was already an established dancer when I came across Bollywood," Hancock clarifies. "But it has opened up a whole new culture and tradition before me, and helped me explore it as an artist."
At the evening class, a student asks him which in a stack of CDs contains Bollywood numbers, and he says, "It is the one that I have titled, aaja nachle."
Hancock may not understand Hindi lyrics, and Bollywood, but he knows the message that lies at its very core ufffd come, dance. Modern and contemporary dancer Gregory Hancock is conducting 8-hour dance workshops till March 17.
Fee: Rs 3,500
Call: 24366 777 for details
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