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TL's latest interview
1) You are known as a well dressed Choreographer. Who is your designer?
Terence: Sandesh Navlakha - Talented, Undiscovered and truly Professional.
2) Why did you choose to be a Dancer?
Terence: In Martha Graham's words: I didnt choose, I was chosen and with that I live.
3) Dance is:
Terence: an extension of my personality but its not everything. Yes its been my life line and I am reasonably successful and famous for it but it does not describe me fully. I have yet to unfold many things about myself that I haven't discovered yet and the more I experiment with life and people the more I will know myself.
4) Dance- a passion or profession.
Terence: Both and gain not the only one Id like to be.
5) Who do you think will win DID 2?
Terence: The one Audience feels most connected to, if its truly by voting. Not to say that the audience would make the best choice as voting is influenced by too many factors that has got nothing to do with talent and performance. At the end of the day, I just do my job and leave the rest to the audience and the channel. Having said that I would say that Each contestant brings with him or her a certain amount of personality and background that may be a strong factor to help him or her win the title. Its rarely on merit. Its unfair one might think, but hey who are we fooling....look around...life is unfair and yet we have to make our peace with it, take the best of whatever it dishes out and make the best of the little we have.
Terence: Sandesh Navlakha - Talented, Undiscovered and truly Professional.
2) Why did you choose to be a Dancer?
Terence: In Martha Graham's words: I didnt choose, I was chosen and with that I live.
3) Dance is:
Terence: an extension of my personality but its not everything. Yes its been my life line and I am reasonably successful and famous for it but it does not describe me fully. I have yet to unfold many things about myself that I haven't discovered yet and the more I experiment with life and people the more I will know myself.
4) Dance- a passion or profession.
Terence: Both and gain not the only one Id like to be.
5) Who do you think will win DID 2?
Terence: The one Audience feels most connected to, if its truly by voting. Not to say that the audience would make the best choice as voting is influenced by too many factors that has got nothing to do with talent and performance. At the end of the day, I just do my job and leave the rest to the audience and the channel. Having said that I would say that Each contestant brings with him or her a certain amount of personality and background that may be a strong factor to help him or her win the title. Its rarely on merit. Its unfair one might think, but hey who are we fooling....look around...life is unfair and yet we have to make our peace with it, take the best of whatever it dishes out and make the best of the little we have.
6) If someone starts dancing at the age of 25 or above, then is it a day late and a dollar short?
Terence: Its never too late, depends on what your purpose is. If its for the sheer joy...Id say do it at any age. If its to take it as a serious career then you need to be realistic as to what skills you have (body type- lean muscular chubby; flexibility etc) Resources( dance teachers, schools in the area, opprtunities in the field in that city etc) and most of all temperament(mental make up - sporty, out going confident etc) Evaluate yourself, do a reality check and then make the decision.
Terence: Its never too late, depends on what your purpose is. If its for the sheer joy...Id say do it at any age. If its to take it as a serious career then you need to be realistic as to what skills you have (body type- lean muscular chubby; flexibility etc) Resources( dance teachers, schools in the area, opprtunities in the field in that city etc) and most of all temperament(mental make up - sporty, out going confident etc) Evaluate yourself, do a reality check and then make the decision.
7) What is the difference between Contemporary and Modern Dance form?
Terence: Modern dance forms was a derivative of Ballet. In the times when Ballet was the norm and there were many restrictions, some dancers like Denishawn, Humphrey, Graham broke the rigidity and gave it a more human character. They broke away from the flash of tutus, costumes, make up and accessories and concentrated on using the body as a tool to express an emotion or a story or a character. The shapes they made were less geometric and more graphic. It was not important to dance in pointe or ballet slippers or do twenty piroettes or attain maximum flexibilty. (That does not mean you don't train towards it but use it to make you more supple and strong rather than using it to show off). Contemporary Dance is still evolving as we speak today and in many countries, esp Asian countries, the word Modern and Contemporary is used interchangeably. Contemporary dance today uses theatre, physical movement, cinema, media, and focusses on minimalism and subtlety. The choreographer and the dancer is given the liberty of a wide canvass to paint the picture of his or her emotion, character, mood or story. Unrestrictive, unabashed and naked in its exhibition it avoids literal representation of the theme it wants to portray. It asuumes that the audience is intelligent enough to read between the lines and even sometime allows the audience to experience the exact opposite of what it wants to convey. There is freedom for both, the performer and the viewer to choose what he wants to. However with freedom comes responsibility and every performer has to decide how he wants to use this creative freedom.
8) What is Indo-contemporary, a dance style created by you?
Terence: Indo-contemporary is also evolving. Having said that I'm glad that the Indian audience has accepted this dance form so much and today we have a huge demand from Indians and foreigners abroad to learn Indian contemporary. India has many dance forms to offer. From classical to folk the list is endless. Ive trained in kathak and folk when I was 16 for three years and Yoga offers many a solution to the creative process of choreography. so Integrating this with my background in Contemporary has been a challenge and to my good luck Dance India Dance has given it respectability esp this season where teh highest no Of khoobsoorat performances were won by Modern contemporary dance performances. Using the mudras, hastas, the tatkars and avoiding abhinay (expressions) but giving it a contemp voice constitutes largely teh framework of my Indo contemporary dance movement. Even the issues we raise or the moods we create is inspired from Indian stories, events and myths. Having said that, hard core contemporary dance is dificult to stomach as it very abstract and the choreographic text is sublimal. TV audiences dont have the patience or the intelligence to see beyond the surface. It wont work at all hence Modern dance which is shape and form based allows for acceptance. My hard core contemporary performance are good for Theatre stage audience only - (Surkh, Out of the box, After 8) If I show this on TV they will throw stones at me. But eventually, once a larger part of India takes responsibility to think and not get spoon fed, I'm sure artist will have the guts to show it as it is without sugar coating it.
Terence: Indo-contemporary is also evolving. Having said that I'm glad that the Indian audience has accepted this dance form so much and today we have a huge demand from Indians and foreigners abroad to learn Indian contemporary. India has many dance forms to offer. From classical to folk the list is endless. Ive trained in kathak and folk when I was 16 for three years and Yoga offers many a solution to the creative process of choreography. so Integrating this with my background in Contemporary has been a challenge and to my good luck Dance India Dance has given it respectability esp this season where teh highest no Of khoobsoorat performances were won by Modern contemporary dance performances. Using the mudras, hastas, the tatkars and avoiding abhinay (expressions) but giving it a contemp voice constitutes largely teh framework of my Indo contemporary dance movement. Even the issues we raise or the moods we create is inspired from Indian stories, events and myths. Having said that, hard core contemporary dance is dificult to stomach as it very abstract and the choreographic text is sublimal. TV audiences dont have the patience or the intelligence to see beyond the surface. It wont work at all hence Modern dance which is shape and form based allows for acceptance. My hard core contemporary performance are good for Theatre stage audience only - (Surkh, Out of the box, After 8) If I show this on TV they will throw stones at me. But eventually, once a larger part of India takes responsibility to think and not get spoon fed, I'm sure artist will have the guts to show it as it is without sugar coating it.
9) What is the main objective of the Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company?
Terence: To be the leading dance organization in India following international standards, providing an environment that fosters creative excellence in the talented, enthusiastic dancer, thus raising the standards of dance and creating opportunities for mutual growth and expansion. To this end, We will work together, towards professional excellence in exploring dance in various forms such as educational, research-oriented, artistic and commercial ventures and constantly endeavor to strive for efficiency and customer satisfaction.
10) What advise would you like to give to the young aspiring dancers?
Terence: Focus on training, Be honest to your profession, spend your money on the right education. Be Realistic. Also ask yourself, why do you want to really Dance. Is it to Show off? To prove a point that you are better than others? or is it to grab attention? does it really make you happy whether people are there watching or not? or is it for money? As sometimes people start dancing for the wrong reasons and then because it so surface level, the passion doesnt last long. Dance is not magic, it does not happen in one day or one week or one year. The most beautiful dancers and dances has taken years of hard work, sweating it out in studios when their personal world is falling apart, and penniless, yet not giving up for that one moment when you will be on stage and you will have the power to bring a smile, sadness pain, exhilaration, joy.....all in that one moment of time...where you and your audience are one.
Terence: To be the leading dance organization in India following international standards, providing an environment that fosters creative excellence in the talented, enthusiastic dancer, thus raising the standards of dance and creating opportunities for mutual growth and expansion. To this end, We will work together, towards professional excellence in exploring dance in various forms such as educational, research-oriented, artistic and commercial ventures and constantly endeavor to strive for efficiency and customer satisfaction.
10) What advise would you like to give to the young aspiring dancers?
Terence: Focus on training, Be honest to your profession, spend your money on the right education. Be Realistic. Also ask yourself, why do you want to really Dance. Is it to Show off? To prove a point that you are better than others? or is it to grab attention? does it really make you happy whether people are there watching or not? or is it for money? As sometimes people start dancing for the wrong reasons and then because it so surface level, the passion doesnt last long. Dance is not magic, it does not happen in one day or one week or one year. The most beautiful dancers and dances has taken years of hard work, sweating it out in studios when their personal world is falling apart, and penniless, yet not giving up for that one moment when you will be on stage and you will have the power to bring a smile, sadness pain, exhilaration, joy.....all in that one moment of time...where you and your audience are one.
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