Pankh jhatak yeh udh jayenge, Aasmaan mein kho jayenge mumbling on their lips, the children take their steps gracefully on the count of their instructor and stop only when the song is over. These seemingly routine dance steps however, are a tool for these children to step into the world more confidently.
Dance has been known to heal physically and emotionally but for these 12 children from the red light area, it has become a means of building their identity.
The children have been training in contemporary dance under city-based Hrishikesh Pawar who has developed a theme-based choreography titled ‘Love in Dark Times’ specifically for the group. The project is in association with the NGO Ekalavya Bal Shikshan and Arogya Nyas.
“I had just returned from Germany, where I learnt contemporary dance and could not find any students because in India, nobody knew what it was. This was when I got an opportunity to do a pilot project with these kids. The initiative was one of the many programmes undertaken by Ekalavya Bal Shikshan and Arogya Nyas to give the children a platform to express themselves,” said Pawar, who holds the classes on the weekend.
Pawar, who has taught contemporary dance to all kinds of special children from visually challenged to slow learners and even hyperactive children, said teaching them was like making a person fall in love.
“Each child came with his own experiences. Some lacked concentration and didn’t know the seriousness of the art. I remember two girls who were just laughing for two days. But we held regular lectures and demos for them and taught them the dance form. With practice came the confidence and when they did their own shows, the pride of achievement was there to see,” said Pawar.
“As a teacher, I have seen them give reasons for not practising. My initial classes were on Marathi songs, and then there was a graduation to Hindi songs. Today, I am happy that students dance to Bach and Mozart. I love to see them relate to things through dance, feel confident about themselves and walk with confidence,” said the dancer whose Centre of Contemporary Dance is affiliated to the Mark Morris Dance Group, USA. “I am striving since 30 years to give the children a life which they can live respectfully,” said Pawar.
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