Forget fusion, it is now Gujarati folk for Amdavad's garba students

Traditional garba dances to the beats of Gujarati folk music is what most students enrolling for garba classes at the dance institutes in the city want this year. What is even more interesting is that this interest in the traditional form of garbs is being shown by non-Gujaratis who have shifted to Ahmedabad for reasons of work or studies.

One institute which has reported an increased interest in traditional garba among non-Gujaratis in the city is Panghat Performing Arts. Chetan Dave of the institute says his students this year are particularly keen to learn garba to the beats of original Amdavadi folk music.

"We do teach garba with Bollywood music playing in the background," Dave said. "But folk music by artists such as Sanjay Oza and Shyamal-Saumil is increasingly becoming the first choice of students." Strangely, parents of some students who are minors also want their children to learn the traditional form of garba.

More than 37o students are learning this uniquely Gujarati folk dance at Panghat Performing Arts. And most of these students, who have paid Rs1,000 each as fee, are non-Gujaratis, said Dave.

At Silver Raas Garba Dance Classes in Memnagar, non-Gujaratis comprise nearly 25% of the registered students. Hardik Dave of the institute said that apart from him and his colleague Brijen Shah, Ghanchi Irfan Razak was also a teacher at the institute. "Razak also teaches Mataji's garba," Hardik said.

This is Hardik's first year in Ahmedabad as a teacher of garba but he already has 75 students learning under him. The fee charged by his institute is Rs1,500 per student for instruction till the festival begins. Hardik also offers one month's instruction in western dance free to his students.

He said most of his students are in the age group of 22-30 years. "These young students prefer dancing to traditional folk music, though they are also interested in fusion styles," Hardik said.

He added that another group of 15 women in the age group of 30-40 years was also attending classes especially to learn traditional folk garba. The Zanzar group of Maninagar, which has been teaching garba for Navratri in the city for the last 8 years, has about 80 students. Milav Shah of Zanzar group said that this year the number of students enrolling for Navratri classes had fallen slightly but there was no decline in enthusiasm or fervour. "The youths in the age group of 18-25 years who have been attending Navratri classes have enrolled specifically to learn traditional folk dance steps danced to the beats old Gujarati music," he said. "But they are also happy dancing to Bollywood music."

Milav Shah's students have paid Rs700 for two months of instruction in various kinds of garba, including Krishna, langdi, popatiyu and 3-taali styles. These styles are taught with folk dance moves that are otherwise found only in rural Gujarat.

Dinesh Rao's Kala Rydham Nrutya Academy at Ambawadi specialises primarily in teaching traditional folk dance for Navratri. "I also teach fusion steps, but the finesse, quality and moves of traditional Navratri folk dance are absent in fusion steps," Rao said. "Around 350 students are enrolled in my Navratri batch. They have opted for the winning moves of folk dance."