Kumar Sharma is an emerging young Kathak Guru in India. He and his students have performed in many reality shows in India and they have been appreciated and praised by leading family actress Rekhaji, Madhuri Dixit ji and many more celebrities.
Kumar Sharma is a National Scholarship Holder in Kathak from the Ministry of Culture, India and he has learnt Jaipur Gharana of Kathak under Guru-Shishya Parampara for six years from Lt. Pt. Sita Ram Ji and he is a researcher of around 20 Folk Dances of India.
‘Kathak Rockers’ is his own Kathak dacing troupe. He has performed in many Dance Reality Shows, including the most famous ‘Chak Dhoom Dhoom’, ‘Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa’, ‘I Can Do That’, India's Got Talent, Dance+, India's Dancing Superstar.
He and his dancing troupe have performed in 60 Shows of Beyond Bollywood in the Palladium Theatre, West End, London which was based on Kathak dance, bollywood dance and different Indian Folk Dances and ‘Ghungroo: Journey of Kathak from Traditional to Modern, Kenya’ and ‘Vishakha Utsav, Vizag’ which is a prestigious festival of Vishskhapatnam.
The Sunday Observer met this young, talented and world renowned Kathak dancing Guru Kumar Sharma for an interview.
Excerpts
Q. When did you decide to take dancing as your career?
A: I was in class 10 and after my Guru Sh. Sita Ram ji expired, one of the colleges where I used to go with Guruji Threy approached me to train their students and when they won second prize in the Youth Festival, that gave me confidence and I decided to be a choreographer.
Q. As a dance teacher, what is the skill that one needs to work successfully?
A: You can be a great performer and so much skilled but you have to be on a level of a student to teach him.
Q. You have been doing Bollywood dances on classical and vice-versa, why so?
A: I always wanted to bring Kathak Form in the mainstream and Bollywood was the only way to connect the youngsters with the ancient dance form. I am glad I did that and now on an average, I get at least 10 messages everyday that we started learning Kathak after watching you.
Q. What is your biggest achievement until now?
A: When I got a call from Russia to perform on Russia's got talent with their show's contestant Svetlana Tulasi to perform as a Guest.
Q. Which dance form do you love the most and why?
A: Do I need to Answer? That’s understood - Kathak. Because it gave me everything in life from being a human what I am today to the financial freedom to traveling the world, everything.
Q. So do you have any dancing school of your own? And it's known by what?
A: I used to have "Rockers Villa" in Ludhiana, but then I shifted to Mumbai and I opened classes there with the name "Krishnamay Kathak" but later with so many shows and so much traveling, students started suffering then I decided to close the school and now I only hold workshops at various places in world.
Q. What you want your students to do once you teach them?
A: I just want them to find an original dancer who is within themselves but that search only starts after reaching a certain level of dancing.
Q. How long have you been dancing?
A: I started when I was 12 and now I am 28. So it’s 16 years.
Q. Where do you see yourself as five years from now?
A: I am living my dream that was to travel the whole world and perform at every place with my Kathak Rockers. But after five years, I want to create my own music and make it popular and create a whole show on our own music. That's my dream now.
Q. Have you ever dreamt of performing on stage with renowned classical dancers and if you ever had that, who is that particular dancer or dancers?
A: Aditi Mangaldasji and Vidha Lalji are two names whom I have followed my whole life and I am their fan. I’ll be lucky if some day I can share stage with them.
Q. What are the challanges that you faced in the TV and Bollywood industry?
A: In the Mumbai Industry, when no one knows you, it's very difficult to enter. But I’ll say a big thanks to reality shows that gave me platforms to showcase my talent. And the first person who called me to choreograph - Jai Kumar Nair and then you get work from work if you are talented, everyone welcomes you with open heart.
Q. Who are the celebrities you have worked with?
A: I was lucky that I have performed with or choreographed for big names of Bollywood and TV - Madhuri Dixit, AR Rahman, Ritesh Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Farah Khan, Kriti Sanon, Mouny Roy and so many stars of TV.
Q. Have you ever faced a challenge of being a male dancer, ever? And what was that?
A: Yes in my childhood when I started Kathak, first from the locality, then my classmates in my school, a few of my teachers told me to pursue some other dance form also but I think my Gurus Sh. Sita Ramji, Smt. Shakuntlaji, Sh. Sanjeev Sharma ji's hand was there on my head and I could continue and still trying my best.
Q. Your biggest fear?
A: If someone tells me to stay at home for so many days which is happening now.
Q. Are you single?
A: Now, Yes. And I am really happy.
Q. Your favourite food?
A: My Favourite is Paneer
Sweets - Nutella Waffle
Q. What excites you?
A: Performing on Stage and ofcourse, going for coffee after rehearsals.
Q. If you weren't a dancer, you would be what?
A: Whoever knows me, they must be knowing - singer.
Q. A dream that remained unaccomplished?
A: To become a Playback Singer in Bollywood, which I am still struggling for.
Q. Your favourite Bollywood style dancer is?
A: Madhuri Dixit and Hrithik Roshan
Q. What's your typical day like?
A: Gym, Rehearsals and Coffee