It's time to twirl

Keeping the tradition aliveJigar SoniJigar Soni is an illustrious garba dancer with a 22year long career Having performed for the AmbaniPiramal wedding last year and collaborated with the likes of Falguni Pathak Soni who also often performs abroad is one of the most wellknown garba dancers and teachers in the circuit In the lead up to Navratri his school is offering a bunch of courses and sessions for enthusiasts Speaking about some of the newer trends in the dance form he tells us ldquoHiphop garba and Bollywood garba are becoming famous among youngsters but we specialise in the traditional form as we are not keen on compromising on culturerdquoAt Sonirsquos School of Garba Dance 204 2nd Floor Malad West Call 9820193848 for more details on beginner level and certificate courses Cost Rs 2500 to Rs 4500The old and the newJigisha Parekh donning a pagdiThere are a lot of people who have had the wish to learn garba but perhaps have not always had the time thanks to a busy schedule At an older age these people have more time and often feel left out or the need to stay updatedrdquo says Jigisha Parekh explaining why her classes encourage septuagenarians to participate adding that she teaches them along with kids and adults so as to make them feel included As the traditional dance form finds new interpretations the attire too is bound to transform Parekh explains that over this whole year women wearing the dhoti and pagdi like men along with a dupatta has been gaining currencyAt Jigisha and Bijalrsquos Tilaknagar and Ghatkopar East Call 7977711740 for exact address dates and timings Cost Rs 2100Partners in crimeLakum in red teaches participantsSince its inception in 2007 the Sumeet Nagdev Dance Arts SNDA a performing arts academy has been offering workshops and classes on varied dance forms This weekend they are hosting a twoday workshop conducted by experienced garba dancers Viren Lakum and Punit Nayani who will teach participants a choreographed set of moves to ready them for the garba season The session will cover several aspects of the festive dance form mdash the basics like do taali teen taali and footwork a minutelong Bollywood choreography and partnerinteractive garba ldquoPeople are trying to modify garba in many ways And while interactive steps are typically found in dandiya couplesrsquo garba has been a big trend this year So we included itrdquo Lakum sharesOn September 21 and 22 6 pm to 8 pm At SNDA Senapati Bapat Marg Tulsi Pipe Road Log on to sndain for tickets Cost Rs 400 to Rs 900Bollywood dhamakaPiyush LalanPiyush Lalan has been giving private classes for garba and folk dance since 1995 in different parts of the city including Mulund Ghatkopar Vile Parle Andheri and Borivali He specialises in the traditional form of garba but agrees that the younger generation is more inclined towards Bollywood garba ldquoWe take songs from Hindi films and choreograph the set around it This is what college and school kids have been showing interest inrdquo Lalan sharesCall 8779064224 for exact address dates and timings Cost Rs 300 starting rate for a one and a half hour session will vary based on duration and grade of the classCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates