Dance Plus is back with its new season and fresh talent. MUSBA HASHMI brings you a report on the X factor of the show
Dance Plus Season 4 is back on Star Plus with a much bigger plus. On air since yesterday, this season is different from the previous three with the tagline 'Sapne Sirf Apne Nahin Hote.' This season is a tribute to unsung heroes behind successful individuals.
The three teams are led by captains Shakti, Punit and Dharmesh. Remo D'Souza is the Super Judge. Raghav Juyal is the host with 41 contestants on the floor. Each team has four contestants, and the show will run for 18 weeks.
Speaking on how this show is different, D'souza said: "Dance Plus redefines the meaning of dance by focusing on untouched talent from across the country. The show promises phenomenal acts and performances which will be first on television. It will evolve dance styles through solo, duo and group performers. It is the only dance reality show made for dancers, created and judged by expert from the dancing field. Raising the bar for dance performances, this season features top international dancing superstars like Jaja and B-Dash, Karen and Ricardo, Poppin John and The Royal Family crew,” he added.
D’Souza also said that over the years, Dance+ had exposed audiences to new trends and inventive dance forms.
Talking about what the contestants do after these shows, D’Souza said: “Reality shows like Dance Plus are a boon for budding dancers. They give them the right exposure to showcase their talent and build a career. Older generation dancers and choreographers, although good, did not get this kind of exposure and couldn’t make it. But, times have changed.”
Explaining his superpowers on the show, he said; “With the creative team, we collectively decide on selection and elimination. Being the super judge I have extra responsibilities and powers. For instance, in the auditions, I was amazed at the dancing acumen of A Square Crew (Abhay & Ayush), and asked them who their guru was. They said they had been trained by their father and he is their Plus. Om gave up his dream of dancing owing to financial constraints but trained his children. I decided to pass them on to mega auditions as a trio, which has never been done on any reality show! My decision to select the talented father with the kids was my way of giving a talented dancer his due! His talent propelled me to use my power.”
‘Confused between IAS or dancing’
A Delhi-based girl, who made it big with her passion for dance, Shakti is best known for her amazing dance moves which won her the top title in Zee TV's Dance India Dance Season 2. "Since my childhood I used to see my sister Neeti dance. I gave auditions for DID 2 and got selected after which I joined the Terrence Lewis Academy for professional training," she tells you.
Mohan was never sure of taking up dancing as a career. Her father wanted her to be an IAS officer. "I was confused because my father wanted me to become an IAS officer and even I had interest in it but I liked dancing better. Finally I went for dance and that's how DID2 happened," she explains.
Speaking about the challenges she says: My family was supportive but the society wasn't. But that didn’t deter me. My father is my plus because he has supported all four of us in every way he can," she adds.
‘Dance is a god-gift to me'
From Dharmesh to Dharmesh Sir and now Captain Dharmesh, Yelande doesn't count his struggles as struggles but as life made exciting. Dharmesh's plus is his father, a tea seller who helped Yelande climb the ladder. “My journey is just like climbing a mountain. My father was tea seller and we were not financially strong. During the festive season, he would buy clothes for us but never for himself,” he says.
Talking about positive change in himself he says: "The life of an artist in an industry is short. He either gets lost in the industry or gets ahead. There are only 10 per cent artists who taste success. So I try to keep myself positive in every situation,” he says. Dancing, he asserts, is God’s gift. “I started off with break dance when I was in Class VI. It has been 18 years since then and I am going to the same guru Krishna Rao. I still dance with his troupe," he says.
‘Experienced MJ magic at 14'
A hardcore Michael Jackson fan who was swept away by the dancing legend at age 14, is now one of the best choreographers in Bollywood. Remo D'Souza sees his journey in Bollywood as a roller-coaster ride. He started his career as a choreographer for Bollywood Dreams in 1995.
"My journey keeps me grounded and empathetic. Coming from a middle class family, I went through a struggle before making it big. It was not easy, but I am thankful to Almighty that I have seen extremes of both good and bad. You have to fight your own battles and have self-belief," he tells you.
He said he was lucky to have got shelter in Mumbai with a sweet family. They didn't ask for money. “I started a dance class Super Brats at Churni Road. My three friends and I opened two more branches soon. I assisted Ahmed Khan and got selected for Yayee Re song. It was Anubhav Sinha who gave me my first video for Sonu Nigam's album Deewana. The video was a big hit paving a way for me into the industry. After Tum Bin and Kaante, there has been no looking back. From choreographing, to judging and becoming a filmmaker, it has been an enriching experience," he says.
Michael Jackson has been his idol. “I was always intrigued by the way he moved his body. When I started earning, the first VHS I bought was of Thriller. MJ changed my life forever. I credit the king of pop with giving me a dream worth following. I have a tattoo of him as a tribute to the legend. He personifies energy and grace for me," he tells you.
D’Souza’s plus is his mother who helped him fulfill his dreams. “She is the wind beneath my wings,” he says, adding that “I am glad Dance+ 4 will bring forth not just the phenomenal talent, but also the anchors behind them who have been pillars of strength”.
‘I communicated with my father through my mother'
From a contestant to judge, Punit Pathak has come a long way. In school, Pathak was not fond of dancing. Play narration was more his style. But college changed all that. "In first year, I auditioned for a competition and performed on the songs Who Let The Dogs Bark and Nikamma Kiya. I got a call from Terrence Lewis Academy and studied dance there on a scholarship while continuing my college. Back then, I wanted to be a cricketer and was captain of my unit team. So my schedule was like cricket in the morning, college in the afternoon and dance from evening to night. Then dance started overpowering everything. I got my first salary when I was 18 and it was Rs 1500," Pathak tells you. Pathak's plus is his younger brother who joined their father's business so that Pathak can pursue dancing. "My father never liked dancing because he thought dancing was not a fit career. There was a time where there was a communication gap between us. We both used to communicate through my mother. When I got selected for DID2, he became a proud father," he tells you. Pathak was the winner of Dance Plus 3 and feels that expectations have since increased.
