Chinmay Khedekar - A Formal Training Is Necessary, Because You Dance in a Particular Style (Choreographer | Dancer, India)

Each experience has enriched me and given me a learning to broaden my horizons. Learning music, creating a fashion blog, anchoring also have been added as exciting experiences in this journey so far.

Instagram - @thewardrobeengineer

1. When did you first decide you wanted to pursue dancing and how did you start?

I was shy, introverted, reticent child, the calling for the performing arts was there..... but there were self imposed limitations , firstly the prevalent social stigma and secondly ,follow the conventional path of making academics the prime focus of life, to grow and earn!

Strangely, having chosen Engineering, Universe decided to throw me into the limelight and offered me a plethora of opportunities to ‘perform’ ... the caterpillar metamorphosed into a butterfly in the very first year of my college term, and once the stage became my playground, dance beckoned my soul to break free.

Victory after victory in dance competitions, with value addition of several innovative initiatives, brought an Engineering College and its talent pool into the limelight.

Simultaneously, the desire of dressing well and honouring the colour co ordination, opened a new vista, suddenly fashion blogging infused a new thrill for me. My day to day wear, coupled with the effort to combine styles and accessories, caught the attention of thousands of my fans. 

Contingencies that happen during stage shows gave me an opportunity to anchor and present the programmes and humour being my forte, I sprinkled my speeches with salt and pepper of anecdotes that made my audience relate and laugh with me!

However ,it was dance that grew on me, the phase of learning, observing, absorbing and adapting began with rigorous passion to make my body and soul fly with the rhythm of music, setting free all that was buried deep into my heart, since childhood

I completed Engineering, securing a degree to assure my parents of a stable future and then with complete vengeance immersed myself into dance, experimenting, collaborating and enjoying the freedom of expression. 

My parents allowed me this freedom and the path ahead began to unfold with numerous possibilities.....some nascent, some created with sheer hard work. Conceptualisation, visualisation and creation helped me build a repertoire of myriad performances and my choreography caught the fancy of many stalwarts...at some point I branched out into conducting Workshops and turned them into two hours of fun and laughter, encouraging one and all to just throw away all inhibitions and grab these two hours of sheer fun. 

All my workshops ended on a high note of fans complimenting my style who confessed that these two hours were the best in their Life! I spread happiness, making dance a medium of expression!

So from city to city in India and abroad, I had a line up of workshops galore gathering momentum increasing my fan base into millions...my new and extended family! My learning continues...experimenting, creating , seeking new vistas ,spreading awareness and enjoying every moment of dance..


2. What has been your journey like?

Its been a vast and varied journey so far. Dancing from a college foyer to intercollegiate competitions on stage, my team won over 12 competitions during college. Then choreographing for individuals and groups, as a background dancer on for stage shows .Then came a time I started conducting workshops, covering many cities in India as well as Dubai, training aspiring actors/actresses, judging competitions etc etc

Each experience has enriched me and given me a learning to broaden my horizons. Learning music, creating a fashion blog, anchoring also have been added as exciting experiences in this journey so far.

3. Who is your favourite dancer and why?

There are many and it would be unfair to select one, as each has his or her own style and skills. Hrithik Roshan, Terrence Lewis, Saroj Khan, Remo Dsouza, Chris Martin, Micheal Jackson.. and an array of emerging dancers bring with them a certain perfection, and learning from each is a rich experience...I get inspired by dance not the name, its a creation of joy, then be it a newcomer too!


4. Can you throw some light on opportunities one gets as a dancer?

From stage shows, albums, films to setting up an institute, there are so many opportunities all around...its the drive within and liking for the medium or platform that draws each dancer towards the medium, some are excellent on camera, some on stage, some teach very well..

Seek and you will find an opportunity that makes you happy.

5. Is format training required or can one train themselves purely on the basis of talent?

A formal training is necessary, because you dance in a particular style.. there is Bollywood, salsa, hip hop etc etc

I trained in salsa for 2 years and its given me lots of benefits. One can also avoid formal training and learn from observation but that is an exception. For classical dance training is imperative and takes years of practice. So I would advice that do train yourself in a style that you love to dance


6. What piece of advice would you like to give to future and aspiring artists?

Be passionate, be very dedicated, learn observe, experiment and keep practicing.. keep being enthusiastic .. you chose what you love ,so enjoy the journey which will have disappointments as well as success. Use failures to climb higher and becoming better day by day..

and be humble, be loving and respect everyone.. now we are on a global platform because of interest, so imagine how far your talent can reach.


7. Which is your favourite book and why?

Am not a voracious reader, off and on I read inspiring books. The Secret, Ikegai, Who moved my cheese, etc as well as the Bhagwad Geeta..so difficult to pinpoint one favourite, each book tells its own. 

- Interviewed by - Soumya Bhayana