Dance with others in Mumbai at this meetup in Bandra this weekend

A moment from the interaction during a previous event. Pics courtesy/The Listening Club

Forget swiping right. Your next meet-cute could begin with an awkward twirl, a mistimed step and a stranger who turns your dance-floor gaffe into an inside joke.

Ikroop Nijjar

Bandra Fort is getting a dance-floor makeover as The Listening Club teams up with Nasir Engineer of Shall We Dance for an evening of partnered dancing. Part of the pre-event activities for the Festival at the Steps, Bandra, the gathering takes a nostalgic cue from the neighbourhood's days of spontaneous community meet-ups, when public spaces doubled up as places to make acquaintances and catch up with neighbours.

Nasir Engineer (in blue) guides a participant through a dance routine

"We are losing touch with our public spaces very rapidly," says Ikroop Nijjar, founder of The Listening Club. "The inspiration is to recreate the old traditions of Bandra, where people came together in a village square to meet others from the same neighbourhood."

The event will take place at the Amphitheatre in Bandra Fort

There's no choreography to master or a partner to bring. A few uncomplicated steps are all it takes to join the dance, pair up with an unfamiliar face and discover a new rhythm. Come with your gang, or turn up solo; either way, you'll have a reason to strike up a conversation that doesn't necessarily have to begin with "So, what do you do?"

As twilight paints the sky over the promenade, exchange stories with your new dance companion and savour a version of city life that leaves room for chance encounters. In a metropolis of hurried commutes and passing faces, a bit of dancing might make things feel lighter and free.

ON October 18; 5.30 pm to 7 pm
AT Bandra Fort, Bandstand Promenade, Bandra West.
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ENTRY Free