The city’s dance connoisseurs have a special visual treat in store for them. Watch and sway to Latin dances in their purest forms, as Baile-de-Salón — Ballroom Academy presents ‘SE7EN’ bringing various Latin dances such as Salsa, Bachata, Argentine Tango, Rumba, Cha Cha, Mambo and more. In a Broadway-like attempt, the show is set to underline the seven deadly sins through these dances that will see 150 choreographies, 50 participants, 15 acts, 12 dance forms and 250 costumes. We ask Ajaz Shaikh, director of Baile-de-Salón, to throw some light on this extravaganza.
Q: How did the idea of a show on the seven deadly sins come about?
A: When we were looking to incorporate a storyline with the dancing we wanted to link a string of short stories that would keep it simple and exciting. That is when I came across an article on the Seven Deadly Sins (Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride) and their corresponding Seven Heavenly Virtues (Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, and Humility). These are traits that all humans possess, albeit in varying proportions which ultimately define our personality.
Q: How many performers are part of the show? Are they all trained dancers?
A: There are about 50 performers and barring a few, everyone else is an amateur. These are your everyday people from bankers, architects, lawyers, doctors, consultants, engineers, techies, fashion designers to businessmen, students and even one from the armed forces! The youngest performer is 18 and the oldest is 54.
Q: How long did it take to put it together?
The rehearsals began about four months ago, but considering everyone’s schedules, getting so many people at a common platform has been most challenging. However the participants have put in a lot of time and effort. Some have suffered personal family losses, some have shifted their residences temporarily to reduce travel time. One performer has put off a knee surgery until the show and one has put off quitting her job and moving out of Mumbai. The commitment has been tremendous.
Q: Dance drama has always existed. When you claim that this show is a mix of dance and theatre, what exactly do you mean?
A: Dance and drama are always supplementing each other. Dance speaks a language of its own, where movement mirrors the fierceness of words. A Dance Theatre is storytelling through the medium of dance.In a dance theatre we amplify our actions to convey every emotion and every bit of the story through dance, no words.
Q: Who’s behind the choreography?
A: I and Deepa Kumar have choreographed the show. We have essayed every sin and virtue through a short story and every story has been assigned a specific dance form from the Latin segment. There are some socially relevant sequences like the ones on STD and infidelity. While one sequence takes inspiration from Narayanan Krishnan’s contributions to the destitute in India, another mocks the vicious circle of corporate greed. We have associated patience with women’s pregnancy and kindness with Mumbaikars’ hearts during bomb blasts.
Q: What is Latin Dance Theatre?
A: In its purest form any Latin dance has 2-2.30 minutes of tight technical performances. We have fused the spinning brilliance of Latin dances with the storytelling grandeur of an opera or a Broadway musical to create the first Latin dance theatre. Every couple dancing at the show has at least one segment of unique individual choreography based on their characterisation.
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