Interview: I WOULD LOVE TO TEACH SALSA TO AMITABH BACHCHAN AND HRITIK ROSHAN - Jazz Dancer Ravi Rastogi

Ravi Rastogi, a Delhi based jazz dancer who trained at the famous Broadway Dance Centre, New York, describes his journey as an eventful twist of fate. Coming from a humble background with no education, his journey from Bareilly to Broadway speaks a lot about his hard work and determination. Rastogi, who runs his own Dance Academy by the name of Moving Souls, leads energetic and fun fitness classes at various studios in Delhi and NCR. Ravi also regularly performs and choreographs professional shows for television, film, commercials, weddings and dance conventions. In addition, Ravi also takes dance classes in leading embassies and educational institutes, including American Embassy.

Born in a small town Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Ravi had to fight against all odds to reach The Broadway Dance Center, New York. Some of the trainings, that Ravi has attended include The Broadway Dance Center (New York), Salsa training from Aba Kua (New York) and Personally trained by talented dance instructors such as Eddi Torre and Frankie Martine.

BWW talks to him about his passion for dance and his inspiring journey

Tell us a bit of your background and how you reached NY for a dance course.

I was born and brought up in the state of UP, in India, and most of my early years were spent in Barielly, where my father was a goldsmith. At a very young age, I needed to leave school to help support my family. I soon followed my brother who was pursuing his dream of being a dancer in New Delhi. I started teaching and performing in small dance troupes, and was noticed by an army officer's wife at one of her events, who gave me the encouragement to pursue more advanced dance training at a reputed dance school. From then on, I started my journey as a dancer, learning from the masters, and teaching students of all ages. One of my students was an American Indian women, who had heard of my reputation as a good salsa instructor. I spoke to her of my dream of one day going to New York for training at the Broadway Dance Center, and with her guidance, I was able to achieve this goal. A dream come true!

Your profile says that you are not formally educated. Tell us a bit more about your formative years and the challenges you may have faced along the way.

Yes, it's true that because of lack of my education, I had to face a lot of challenges, despite my dancing talent. When I came to Delhi to pursue my career, initially I worked at a variety of odd jobs. I always wanted to become a dancer since my childhood, I was advised by my mentor, who was Army officer's wife to take a formal training in one of the known institute. I got myself enrolled in their short certification course of two months. After seeing my potential, they insisted me to continue my training further which I completed while working to sustain my expenses in Delhi.

However the lack of education has had an impact on my career, even as a dancer. At one point in time, I applied for a position as a dance teacher in a reputed school. I mentioned my Broadway certification course and my experience in the field of dance, on which basis I was called for the interview. The school recognized and was appreciative of my performance and experience. However, when they came to know about my lack of educational qualifications I was never considered for the job. Through my perseverance and my desire to teach dance in schools, I am now teaching at a variety of embassy schools, including the American Embassy School, the German School and the British School.

Tell us about learning dance in the US. The institutes you attended, what they taught you.

Learning dance at a formal dance school in the US was an amazing experience! You learn so much about technique from these experienced and famous teachers. You also learn an incredible amount about the international aspects of dance, from the students who attend the school from all over the world. I took a lot of technical dance training in jazz and ballet from the Broadway Dance Centre in New York. I also spent a lot of my time in New York, learning salsa from world-renowned teachers such as Eddie Torres (the father of Salsa on 2, or Mambo) and Frankie Martinez, who teaches his unique and accomplished style of body movement for Latin dance.

What are your current engagements in India?

Upon my return from the US, I have been able to establish my own studio and brand, Moving Souls, based in Saket, New Delhi. I teach a variety of dance forms in regular classes such as Salsa, Jazz, Bollywood and Zumba. My students range in age from as young as 4 years old, to 70 years of age.I teach in several embassy schools. I also do a variety of other engagements and choreographies, such as corporate shows, wedding choreography, stage shows and corporate classes.

Who have been your inspirations in dancing and why.

Frankie Martinez is my inspiration in dancing. Body isolation is very important in any dance form and he is master in that. His Afro-Latin body movement classes are intense!

Do you want to teach dancing to Bollywood stars too? What are your aspirations?

That would be another dream come true! I would love to teach Latin dance to our all-time favorite movie heros - Amitabh Bachan and Hritik Roshan. My aspiration is to make Moving Souls one of the most recognizable dance institutes in the world.