Stories about dance, companionship and travel were the primary focus at the latest edition of the Lime Diaries hosted by Byond Travel at the Humming Tree recently. Belly dancer and soloist Alex Victor, Odissi Dancer Meghna Das and breakdancer Michal Krajci narrated their experiences and gave a glimpse of their skills.
Talking about growing up in a conservative family, Alex talked about his love for dance. “I loved dancing. My dad wanted me to be a sportsperson. I began working when I was 18 at a call centre. I hated the job. My second job gave me a good salary and gave me the opportunity to dance on the weekends. When I was quite young I watched a belly dancer perform in Dubai and fell in love with the dance form.”
He adds, “I kept feeling that dance was my true calling and left my settled life to try my hand at it. It was not an easy choice. I had to struggle for a long time, often working for 17 hours for a gig and not getting paid. However, I managed to learn Kathak and taught myself belly dancing. I was very happy when one of the top belly dancers in the world was impressed with my dance.”
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For Alex, one of the happiest memories was when his father danced with him. “It was a month before he passed away. I was very touched. I love what I do and am happy that I am breaking gender stereotypes. Dance has no gender and boundaries.”
For Odissi dancer Meghna Das, a trip to Cambodia convinced her about the universal nature of the language of dance. “I was going to perform in Cambodia, before an audience that had no clue of the love story of Lord Ram and Radha. I was very unsure about people grasping the meaning of the performance, owing to cultural and language issues. After my performance, a woman in a hijab came up, held my hand and said she loved the tale of unrequited love that I performed.”
She adds, “That is when I was convinced about the universal language of dance. People connect to dance through emotions that transcend language and cultural barriers.”
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Slovak Breakdancer Michal Kraji spoke of his travels across Europe alongside fellow dancers all for a chance to perform in events across the continent. “There is an active hip hop community in Europe. They opened their houses for us when we were travelling for competitions. When I came to India, I contacted the Indian hip hop community and was accepted immediately. They opened their homes and hearts to me.”