Nxg

EVENT Magical Soles saw girls dominate the dance competition. NIHARIKA M.

It’s nice to spend the usually busy Saturday evenings watching young talent. Magical Soles, the inter-collegiate dance competition by Krafters India, gave us an opportunity to catch a glimpse of that. With some big sponsor names and a comfortable venue, there was a sense of warmth and positivism.

Performances

Raack Academy of Dance was the first among the long list of entertainers. As the hosts, they gave a commendable performance; a bunch of flowers (lilacs probably!) swaying to some sweet instrumental music. At least that is how I, best, could perceive it. SRM University was the next and sadly it marked the beginning of some repetitive technology failure. Combining popular English and Hindi music, it was a rather average show and below par compared to the rest. Expression is one of the vital factors in dance and they missed that point. It is definitely not all about the hip shakes and aggressive body movements.

MOP Vaishnav was a cut higher, encompassing styles of the good old rock ‘n’ rolla, popular pop etc. In fact, it was more like a tribute to Bob Marley, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. The theme and presentation using multiple props (the characteristic usage of the mike like a pole made me nostalgic; those days!) was innovative. Again, a little more emphasis on expression could have made it a performance of better quality. Now, Ethiraj undoubtedly needs a standing ovation. They had the maximum number of performers and yet their co-ordination was, simply put, flawless. It had all aspects of a brilliant presentation and highlighted the most important features of dance as well. And the antics were classic. They easily shook the pre-conceived notion of somersaults being the boys’ forte! Surely, the professionalism will take them places.

Hip hop fixation

The other host performances by dance academies such as I moves provided some light moments; not that the competition was a heated one. The blazing costumes (mostly silver or gold) were screaming for attention. Also what was disappointing was most of the choreography lacked originality. It looked like a mere copy from “in vogue” music videos. Hip Hop was the most preferred form, especially among the boys. I simply cannot understand why! Has it got to do with the baggy jeans, caps and loose T-shirts giving them the ultra-cool look?! The initiative to participate by these colleges should be appreciated, even if there is always only one winner. Any art form needs encouragement, since effort always paves the path for a better road. Ethiraj deservingly won the first and the second went to MOP Vaishnav. All in all, a good show with lot of scope for improvement.

Niharika is a II Year BA Lit student at Stella Maris College.

Popularity: 1% [?]