Britney controversy didn't affect me at all: Sandip

He received much brick brats for his famous Britney connections but choreographer Sandeep Soparrkar maintains that the controversy did not affect him at all.

However, considering Britney's international celebrity status Soparrkar feels that he should have anticipated the scrutiny level by the media.

"The controversy did not affect me personally but I was foolish not to expect the kind of media scrutiny attached to Britney," Soparrkar said.

There were reports that Soparrkar, who specialises in Latino dance forms like Salsa, Cha-Cha-Cha, was dating pop singer Britney Spears.

Soparrkar claimed that Britney had come to Jodhpur to meet him  and rehearse for the second video of her 'Womanizer' album, which he had been signed to choreograph.

Some media reports, however, refuted Saporrkar's claims of Britney ever flying to India.

"All I have to say is Britney was here with me in Jodhpur we practised for six hours. She is very sincere and it was excellent working with her," he said.

The dancer gets all chatty about his upcoming Bollywood ventures. 

"I will be choreographing N Chandra's Cyclone, which is based on Latin dance, 'Raftar' with Emraan Hashmi and Neha Dhupia and Phir Kabhi where disco king Mithun will be dancing a proper ballroom dance," he said.

The dancer has worked with a lot of international celebrity like Beyonce, Madonna but he picks up an unusual name when asked to name his favourite student.

"I love Kajol. She is a very good dancer and very keen student. Everytime she wants to learn more. Unfortunately only her acting talent has been explored," he says.

Soparrkar is a trained ballroom dancer and did his training in 'Ballroom Dance Teacher Training Institute' from Bonn Germany.

"I did my training and then partnered with a Polish lady for nine years after that our partnership split. I also faced the opposition from my father when I decided to take up dancing as a career. Later my grandmother convinced him," he recounts.

Soparrkar maintains that even though the Latin American dance forms are gradually becoming quite popular people still confuse different dance forms with the Salsa.

"Its good to see that people are eager to learn these dance forms. But most of them cannot differentiate between salsa or a tango. For them everything is a Salsa. Most of them pronounce the Cuban dance Rumba as Ramba," 

So which dance number excites him the most? "I like the Spanish dance form Pasa Doble its very passionate, dynamic," he says.

"Latin American dance forms are so sensuous while Indian dance forms display all emotions, anger, jealousy, love, hatred but the element of sensuality is missing in them," he adds.

Soparrkar feels dancing with his girlfriend and current dancing partner model Jesse Randhawa gives him a high.

"It's comfortable, you dance as a couple. There's just so much more that you both achieve when you are dancing together.

"During the whole Britney controversy Jesse did not ask me anything and never questioned me even once," he says.

Soparrkar, who is trained in Pillipino art form and marshall arts, wants to open a dance institute in Delhi.

"I really want to open a dance institute. There is no criteria for size, shape or age," he says.

The dancer, who is also a single father to a boy says that fatherhood has both stabilised him as well as made him naughty.
    
"Arjun has a very stabilising effect on me. I have become more responsible and naughty with him," he adds.