Shiamak Davar went to college for the sake of his parents who insisted he get a degree before pursuing his passion: dance. It was a time when making a full-time career in dance was unheard of; and the choices were restricted to traditional classical dance or the filmi Bollywood ones — there was no middle ground.
“Having an educational degree is very important. Even though I always knew I wanted to do something in the field of the performing arts, my parents made sure I got a degree first. I think it was in college that I realised how much I loved singing, theatre and dance! This was the time when I realised where I actually belonged!” recalls Davar, who studied Bachelors of Commerce in Sydenham College, Mumbai.
Trying time
“I would enter the college canteen and people would whisper. I knew it was hard for people to accept that I wanted to make the performing arts my full-time career. But this actually gave me strength and this struggle made me the person I am today,” says Davar.
“Guru of contemporary dance in India” is the person he is today. Davar changed the dance scene in India by introducing contemporary dance forms that appealed to a lot of youngsters. Some of these youngsters went on to becoming famous like Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Sushant Singh Rajput, who were members of the Shiamak Davar Dance Company. In this way, Davar’s brush with Bollywood began even before he choreographed his first movie, Dil To Pagal Hai in 1997, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Choreography.
Davar is also credited with modernising the choreography, especially in the film industry. He also slowly expanded into shows, dance academies, courses and events. Though his academic pursuit ended when he graduated from college decades ago, in 2011, an academic recognition came his way in the form of an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University for his contribution to entertainment in India and throughout the world.
But all this success didn’t come easy. Being a professional dancer is a lot of hard work, says Davar. “It is very important for a person to know their limitations. The competition is a lot now, so only if you’re really sure, then decide to take it up professionally. Training is the most important part of becoming a dancer. Half-baked knowledge is the worst type of knowledge, especially if you’re becoming a dance teacher. And in dance, learning is a continuous process, to keep updating yourself,” he advises.
From the experience of working with a lot of youngsters in his academy and shows, Davar understands what makes the college students of today different from the time when he was in college. “They are very different; they are faster and tech-savvy. I feel back then we just hung around and chilled more. It was simpler — just chai , vada pav and friends meant a great time! Also, today dance is actually a big part of college culture. Back then it wasn’t there at all. So this for me is a positive change.”
