New Delhi, July 14 - Jive, bachata, merengue, hip-hop and rock-n-roll -- do these words ring a bell? Thanks to reality shows, these western dance forms have become a rage in cities and Indians know there is more to shaking a leg than just the Latino salsa!
'Thanks to dance reality shows, people now want to experiment and are willing to learn new dance forms. Salsa is not completely out but, yes, people are showing enthusiasm in other dance forms also - something that was not there earlier,' said choreographer Lucky from the Delhi-based Ballatino dance studio.
'People have done so much of salsa that now they are bored of it and want to try something new and different. Hence, they are going for jive, bachata, merengue and other dance forms,' added Lucky.
The dance reality shows on television like 'Nach Baliye' and 'Jhalak Dikhla Ja' have created awareness about new dance forms and people are thronging dance schools to learn them.
Prashant Wali, 22, is an ardent fan of these reality shows. He says he always wanted to learn dancing but didn't know which form to opt for. These shows helped him to zero in on to hip-hop.
'Now I know that I want to learn hip-hop because it is an extended version of break dance. I want to put on my dancing shoes and show my moves to my friends,' Wali averred.
According to Lucky, bachata, merengue, salsa and jive are popular in the age group of 18-35, whereas cha cha, samba, rumba, the waltz and tango are popular among people over 40 years old.
Sonia Jaffar, the winning choreographer of season three of 'Jhalak Dikhla Ja', says people have misconceptions that bachata, merengue and rumba are new dance forms.