TWO FOR COMPANY: Couple Rahul and Seema Gupta strike a pose. Of all the good that marriage ushered in, the biggest was that it boosted their individual progress as artistes, they say. Photo by Najeer Feroke

The Guptas are experts in Indian classical dances like Bharatnatyam,
Kathak and Kuchipudi. And they are teaching these art forms to
students across different nationalities.

By Anand Holla

There are two new dancers in town and their love for dance is rivalled only by their drive to get a bunch of kids break into jigs. Three months after they moved to Doha to become dance instructors at Birla Public School, Rahul Gupta and Seema Gupta are witnessing a renewed interest brewing among the students.
“Initially, we were apprehensive about children, especially those from other countries, taking to the Indian classical dance forms. In fact, some told us that their parents may not allow them to learn,” Rahul said. But one PTA meeting was enough to iron out the creases. “We explained its importance to the parents and they saw reason. So apart from Indian students, we now teach Egyptian, Lebanese, Sudanese, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Filipino, you name it. The children don’t have an inkling on Indian classical dance, but they are loving it,” he beams.
The Guptas, who are in their mid-20s, are experts in classical dances like Bharatnatyam, Kathak and Kuchipudi. Five days a week, they teach everything from the basic drills to elaborate dance movements to students from class one to 10; Rahul teaches secondary students, while Seema takes care of primary kids.
“Together, we would teach dance to around 70 students from some of the most reputed schools in Delhi and Chandigarh. We still get a lot of calls from parents who ask us to return and teach their kids,” Seema says, and smiles, “We love it here though. Qatar has been exciting.”
Apart from the welcoming atmosphere they have encountered in Doha, both have several reasons to see the switch as a big step forward. The genial couple has been through some tough times.
“I was four years old when I started dancing. My mother would tie a pair of ghungroos (ankle bells) on my feet, apply kajal (kohl) to my eyes,” Rahul reminisces. “But my grandfather was opposed to the idea as he believed that a boy who will dance will damage the businessman family’s reputation. My aunt discouraged me as well. She would taunt my mother on how I could ever make a living out of it. But thankfully, my mom listened to no-one,” he says.
As his mother spurred him on to learn Indian classical dance forms instead of Western, Rahul realised he was enjoying them immensely. Watching dance videos of film stars Kamal Hassan and Hema Malini was a constant source of inspiration. “When we moved to Chandigarh and I had to get admission in class five, the school principal asked my mother whether I had any special talent. So I danced right there. She stood up, applauded and told my mother that I could join without giving the entrance test,” Rahul says.
The award-winning Bharatnatyam dancer studied dance at Madras Kalakshetram. Soon enough, he had developed a reputation of the go-to guy for dances in inter and intra-school competitions. “I would perform everything from folk to film music dances, contemporary to Arabian dances,” he says. As he entered college, he decided to earn some money on the side by teaching dance to kids. “We lived in a rented house in Chandigarh. The landlady would routinely scold me as my dance-practice would disturb her. So every night, I began practicing alone at a nearby park because without practice I wouldn’t have been able to improve myself.”
The next few months were spent approaching schools and random parents, looking for kids eager to learn dance. “Eventually, one school helped me kick off my dance class, and children trickled in. I started off teaching them Bollywood dance, so that they don’t run away,” he says and laughs, “They would call me sir. I loved it.”
Soon, more schools hired him as a dance teacher. “Kids would be dropped off in cars and motorbikes, while I would pedal my way there in a ramshackle cycle,” he recalls.
Likewise, Seema too is a self-made dancer. “My mother passed away when I was very young. I learnt dancing because it appealed to me. I would take dance classes at home and use that money to pay for my studies so that nobody in the family could object,” she says.
Not long after they met, the two dancers had matched their steps in more ways than one. “Seema is a wonderful dancer. We practice together, perform together at all kinds of events, and it feels great,” says Rahul, who is well-versed with a dozen dance forms.
Of all the good that marriage ushered in, the biggest was that it boosted their individual progress as artistes, feels Seema. “We improved as dancers. Major schools asked us to teach kids, together as a team. Post-marriage, I have taught a lot more, and have also taken it more seriously,” she says.
What about spousal fights over varying dance styles or movements? “Although we both dance Bharatnatyam, I follow Kalakshetram, the more refined style, while hers is the old-school Kalamandalam. Her form focuses more on facial expressions, while mine is manlier, featuring sharp, taut movements. We are aware of our individual moves as much as each others,” Rahul says.
But what about the usual husband-wife tiffs? “Oh, we squabble like all couples … but we do it in dance form,” he says. They both laugh.
Right after marriage though, some of Rahul’s relatives dissuaded Seema from continuing. “They said it doesn’t look nice if the woman of the house goes out and teaches dance,” she says. But once again, Rahul’s parents encouraged her to do as she wishes.
Rahul says, “Our son Bharat is three-and-a-half years old now. The first time we performed together after his birth was when he was only three months old. He was crying continuously. People told us that we had gone insane, and that the child would go deaf.”
The Guptas are in it for the respect as much as the thrill of it. “When you teach dance to children, you earn a lot of respect from their parents. In India, we worked really hard but we often felt like we were not accorded the respect we deserved. School principals would treat us well when they needed us for events, and other times, we were best forgotten. When you don’t get respect, you feel let down,” Rahul says.
On that count too, their stint at Birla Public School has been rewarding thus far. “We were happy when we got this opportunity because it seemed like a nice, stable job. We were a little tired of running around in various schools to teach,” says Rahul, “Besides, Principal A K Srivastava is a gentleman. It makes things simpler.”
The two consider their job as a window to share the rich Indian culture steeped in classical dance forms. “We are proud to be able to do that, and we also teach them discipline as it’s an integral part of these dance forms. Since there are 7,000 kids in this school, we won’t have to go anywhere else to teach,” Seema says.
As for difficult kids, Rahul knows just how to convince them. “I tell them how classical dance will help them stay physically fit, or how dancing barefoot and striking tight postures will promote acupressure. In any case, kids today are mostly a little plump,” he says and smiles, “I guarantee them that they will lose weight within a month, and they do.”
When they are in the midst of it, dance is a kind of meditation for both. “The charm of Indian classical dance is that even if I do the same step a dozen times, I find an inexplicable newness each time. It’s refreshing,” says Rahul.
It’s not his experience alone, he insists. “Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit has admitted that she gets bored of doing the same Bollywood or Western dance steps, but finds the repetitive Kathak steps so refreshing,” he says.
To make it exciting for kids, the couple uses innovative methods like setting Bharatnatyam to pop chartbusters by Madonna or Michael Jackson, or making kids dance on earthen pots. “Be it Kuchipudi or Mohiniattam, English or Hindi, I mix them all up so that the kids’ interest doesn’t wane,” says Rahul.
And what about their own son? “He dances superbly. Currently, he is being pampered by my in-laws back home,” Seema says, “We can’t wait to have him here and teach him every single thing we know.”