India’s receptivity toward modern dance was remarkably holistic. As it is, the country already has its pot full of 8 accredited classical dance forms as well as folk and regional dance forms individually from all the states. These top Indian dancers are considered to be the superstar dancers of the male, female, and many Bollywood industries. Each of them has ushered in new waves from around the world and fused different dance forms together to bring about something fresh and unique.
Here are the top dancers in India:
Chandralekha
Primarily trained in Bharatanatyam and Kathakali, Chandralekha is one of the top dancers in India. She went on to blend Indian classical dance with Yoga and Kalaripattu. After completing high school, Chandralekha studied law but quit her studies midway to learn dance instead.
She started with Dasi Attam, a form of dance practiced by temple dancers in southern India under the tutelage of Ellappa Pillai. She was also influenced by Balasaraswati and Rukmini Devi Arundale in her dance education, but her choreography shows that she was more influenced by the former.
Although Chandralekha received her early training in Bharatanatyam, she went on to change her focus to postmodern fusion dances that incorporated elements from other dances, martial arts like Kalarippayattu, and performing arts. Her choreography was majorly non-narrative and focused on the body’s potential for movement and expression.
Also, this is a point in the evolution of modern dance in India when dance choreographies started to become the voice for staging protests. Chandralekha’s choreographies pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in Indian society, which even earned her a lot of criticism.
Her performances addressed several political and social issues, including caste, gender, and globalization. Chandralekha had authored several books on dance and was vocal about making physical education and movement an integral part of education. Overall she is one of the top dancers in India.
Mallika Sarabhai
Just like Chandralekha, Mallika Sarabhai is one of the top 10 dancers in India. Sarabhai was trained in Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, and Kuchipudi. Mallika played the role of Draupadi in Peter Brook’s play The Mahabharata. Mallika has won many accolades during her long career. The Golden Star Award is one of them, which she won for the Best Dance Soloist, Theatre De Champs Elysees, Paris 1977.
Later, she started incorporating corporate dance styles and theatrical techniques into her choreographies. She is known for her dynamic performances that combine expressive movements with powerful narratives, and her work has been performed to critical acclaim in India and around the world.
Some of her notable theatrical presentations include – Shakti – The Power of Women. Sita’s Daughters, An Idea Named Meera, and many more. Mallika has also used film and television for social change, especially for women’s empowerment and environmental consciousness.
Through Darpana Communications, she has been responsible for the production of three thousand hours of TV broadcast programming, all of which has been shown through Doordarshan, Gujarati. Overall she is one of the top dancers in India.
Prabhu Deva
Tall and lanky with a jelly-like fluidity of the body, Prabhu Deva is one of the top 10 dancers in India. His fast and energetic dance moves on the top of the bus were considered a landmark moment in Indian cinema. His dance has inspired many dancers to take up the art form.
Deva’s first venture as a choreographer was the Kamal Haasan starrer Vetri Vizha (1989). He has since then choreographed for over 100 movies. From choreography, he went into acting. In 1999, Deva, Shobhana, and A. R. Rahman performed with a Tamil cinema dancing troupe at the “MJ & Friends” Michael Jackson tribute concert in Munich, Germany.
Prabhu Deva’s dance and chorographies have blended traditional Indian dance forms with Western styles such as jazz, hip-hop, and salsa. He has been one of the pioneers in popularizing dance in cinemas.
He has directed and choreographed several dance shows and competitions, including the dance reality show – ‘Dance India Dance.’ Prabhu Deva has also received accolades on several international stages, including his performance at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony. He even graced a judge’s seat at an international dance show named – So You Think You Can Dance. Overall, he is one of the top dancers in India.
Terence Lewis
Terence Lewis is one of the top 10 dancers in India. He has played a pivotal role in popularizing contemporary dance forms, mentoring aspiring dancers, and promoting dance as an art form. He made his first public appearance as one of the mentors in the dance reality show – ‘Dance India Dance.’ He has also been a judge at the international dance reality show – ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’
His choreographies showcased a seamless blend of innovative dance moves and stunts from Western dance forms such as – ballet, jazz, and contemporary with Indian aesthetics. Lewis is a choreographer in several Bollywood films.
He has also choreographed a number of stage shows, Indian contemporary performances, corporate launches, broadway Westend musicals, feature films, and music videos. Lewis won the 2002 American Choreography Award for choreographing the songs of the movie Lagaan along with Saroj Khan, Raju Khan, Ganesh Hegde, and Vaibhavi Merchant.
Apart from his television appearances, Terence Lewis has choreographed and staged numerous dance productions, both in India and abroad. His productions often explore social themes and highlight important issues, using dance as a medium of storytelling and expression.
He has also collaborated with international artists and has showcased his talent on prestigious platforms across the globe. Moreover, he is one of the top dancers in India.
Allu Arjun
Telugu cine star Allu Arjun is one of the top 10 dancers in India. His dance style made its mark for the first time with the film – Arya. He presented a unique blend of classical and contemporary dance forms to create a new benchmark for dance in Indian cinema. With every film that followed thereafter, his dance style evolved to be better than before.
His unique antics with every new dance number are something that the fans look forward to. Allu Arjun takes inspiration from Michael Jackson and his own uncle Chiranjeevi. He is indisputably one of the finest actors and dancers we have in India. Moreover, he is one of the top dancers in India.
Mithun Chakraborty
The first male actor to boast the tag of a Bollywood dancer with pride was Mithun Chakraborty. He is one of the top 10 dancers of India. The dance sequence – ‘I am a Disco Dancer’ became a rage that ran like wildfire all over the country, giving India its first dancing superstar. Flexible body movements and nimble footwork complimented all the Western dance moves in his tall and slender personality with a swag like never before.
The stone had just started rolling with Disco Dancer. It made Disco dance – a trusted ingredient for success in all Bollywood movies thereafter. He is rightfully called the ‘Disco King’ of India. He inspired several other Bollywood dancers and choreographers to experiment more with Western dance moves such as Govinda, Sridevi, and Madhuri, among others.
Mithun’s dance numbers from his films Disco Dancer, Dance Dance, and Comando are still remembered and emulated by fans even today. He made freestyle dancing popular and blended various dance styles, including disco, rock, and martial arts.
Mithun has also been involved in promoting dance as a standalone art form in India. He has been promoted and been a judge on dance reality shows, including ‘Dance India Dance’, ‘Dance Bangla Dance’, and ‘Dance India Dance Li’l Master’, where he has mentored and inspired young dancers. No wonder he is one of the top dancers in India.
Remo D’ Souza
He is one of the top 10 dancers of India. D’Souza studied in Jamnagar, Gujarat. He completed his 12th from there, and during his HSC board exam, he realized that he didn’t have any interest in his studies. He immediately left school and went to Mumbai, but his father wanted him to join the Indian Air Force.
Whatever he has learned about dance until now is on his own. He learned to dance by watching movies, music videos, etc. He would rather say Michael Jackson is his guru as he used to copy his steps by watching his dance on the television and then choreograph his own steps by adding something extra.
Additionally, he has been a judge on the dance reality show Dance Plus for seven consecutive seasons. He has directed songs for many movies, some of which are the famous songs Badtameez Dil, Disco Deewane, Balam Pichkari, and Deewani Mastani from Bajirao Mastani, which Remo has directed.
If we talk about his dance career, then he has worked in many production houses, television shows, and as a director. It can perform many dances like Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, Waltz, Freestyle, Break Dance, Salsa & Bollywood style. No wonder he is one of the top dancers in India.
Uday Shankar
Uday Shankar is one of the top dancers in India. He is revered as the Father of Modern Dance in India. He was the first Indian dancer who facilitated the culmination of Indian classical and Russian ballet. Though he did not receive formal training in Indian classical dance, he got exposure to Indian classical and folk dances in his childhood.
Shankar already had a penchant for photography and painting. His very highly refined taste and understanding of art found expression in his dance. He also assimilated European theatrical techniques with traditional and folk dance styles from India.
He called this new dance form Hi-dance which got re-christened as Creative Dance at a later stage. He put Indian dance on the global map for the first time when he performed with Russian Ballet dancer Anna Pavlova in a ballet based on an Indian theme – named Radha Krishna.
He opened the first-ever Indian dance school in Paris. Thereafter, he created ripples around the world with his dance troupe – ‘Uday Shankar, and his Hindu Ballet. Moreover, he is one of the top dancers in India.
Farah Khan
Farah Khan is one of the top 10 dancers in India. She has choreographed dance routines for more than a hundred songs in over 80 films, winning six Filmfare Awards for Best Choreography and the National Film Award for Best Choreography.
In addition, she has worked on Tamil films and in international projects, such as Marigold: An Adventure in India, Monsoon Wedding, Bombay Dreams, and the Chinese films Perhaps Love and Kung Fu Yoga, earning Tony Award and Golden Horse Award nominations.
Khan’s work in Monsoon Wedding, Bombay Dreams, and Vanity Fair was nominated for a 2004 Tony Award as Best Choreographer, along with collaborator Anthony van Laast, for Bombay Dreams. She has won the Filmfare Best Choreography Award six times.
Khan then went on to direct her first film Main Hoon Na starring Shahrukh Khan, which Red Chillies Entertainment produced. Khan trained Colombian pop star Shakira for a Bollywood version of her song Hips Don’t Lie for the MTV Video Music Awards on 31 August 2006. Khan has also choreographed Kylie Minogue for the song “Chiggy Wiggy” in the 2009 movie Blue. Moreover, he is one of the top dancers in India.
Raghav Juyal
Raghav Juyal is one of the top dancers in India. He rose to fame after being a contestant and finalist in Zee TV’s dance reality show Dance India Dance 3 and a skipper for the team “Raghav Ke Rockstars” in Dance India Dance Li’l Masters 2 and Dance Ke Superkids, where his team was declared the winner under his captainship. Juyal showcased a new dance style but wasn’t selected in the Top 18 by the Grand Master in Mega Audition.
Later, on public demand, Grand Master Mithun Chakraborty made an exception in the format by reintroducing him on the show as his “trump card” in the wild-card round, through which he entered the competition again. Thereafter, Juyal created different dance forms and reached the finale.
He was the most popular contestant of the season, having garnered the most No. 1 positions in weekly voting. At the Grand finale, he was voted with 3,481,685 votes in the 2nd runner-up position.
His signature step is Slow Motion Walk. Choreographers like Geeta Kapoor & Remo D’Souza, and Terrence Lewis have stated that they had never seen anyone emulate the slow-motion walk in India, as realistically, before Raghav. Moreover, he is one of the top dancers in India.
Conclusion
As for the final say, these are the top dancers of India. These dancers are amazing at their work and have choreographed so many films and songs. They have worked with big people in their industry over the years.
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