Himani Khurana - You Never Choose Dance, Dance Chooses You (Artistic Director & Choreographer)

Even if you are gifted with talent, your skills will be only be honed further when you work with teachers and master teachers who can share their hands-on experience and knowledge with you. 

1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

I'm a dance artist, educator and choreographer trained in Jazz, Ballet and Contemporary dance techniques. I have studied Ballroom and latin dances and is a certified Trainer for the same. In 2013, I set out to start my own company Stance Dance Studio, (earlier a partnership is now a private limited company,2020) and since then has been creating work with dancers at my company. I train dancers at community and professional level. My work has influences of urban dance techniques, along with a combination of contemporary dance techniques like Release, Horton, Cunnigham and Indian contemporary art form Kalaripayattu.

I continued my practice of ballet technique and other groundwork conditioning, as I'm now remains more occupied with choreography work for community, youth and commercial projects. My work with youth comprises - stage productions and musicals; corporate training sessions and workshops focussing on different aspects of dance-body alignment and workplace ergonomics; corporate events, art & performance design for festivals and interdisciplinary work for schools and colleges. My works with others in a spirit that fosters creativity and vitality and is devoted to the development and artistic viability of dance art.

2. When did you first decide you wanted to pursue dancing and how did you start?

I never actually decided that I am going to be a dancer! As they very rightly say, "You never choose dance, Dance chooses you", it just kept happening. I began my journey as a student, and then the ways just kept opening up. 

That's why, whenever I have new students in my class, I always tell them , it doesnt matter if they come in with the intention of being a professional or join in just for fun, what matters is that they must focus on the technique and learning, cos they never know where it might lead them.

3. Who is your favourite dancer and why?

I have a lot of favorite dancers and choreographers, and it is not possible to list one name.

I love the works of Balanchine,Twyla Tharp, Debbie Allen, Mia Micheals, Brian Friedman, and Rafael Bonachela.

Few of my favorite Indian choreographers are - Ganesh Hedge, Prabhu Deva and Uma Shankar

My favorite dancers ofcourse many - Micheal Jackson, is every dancers favorite, but besides him, I am a fan of Madhuri Dixit's grace and finesse on screen.

4. Can you throw some light on opportunities one gets as a dancer?

Dance as a career is big now, though still not very mainstream, but opportunities are many. An individual can choose to be a performer, choreographer or a teacher, and some choose to be all three. To create your career in the dance field, one must have had spent at least some quality number of years training themselves, and understanding the nuances and techniques. It is not a career option if you are looking at doing a three-four degree /diploma and enter the field. It's a creative art field, where one must spend many years in training, learning, observing and then branching out.

There are many universities that offer degree and professional courses to study the same. But in the end, one must rely on their passion to create something new each day.

5. Is format training required or can one train themselves purely on the basis of talent?

Even if you are gifted with talent, your skills will be only be honed further when you work with teachers and master teachers who can share their hands-on experience and knowledge with you. So yes, I strongly believe that training goes a long way in making you successful as an artist.

6. What piece of advice would you like to give to future and aspiring artists?

The only piece of advise I always give out to young dancers, is to be Patient and persistent. They must resist getting swayed with only new trends. What is of-today is obviously beautiful and fresh, but they must study through the roots. If their roots are solid, then they can churn out new stuff for many more years to come. But if the only information they have is of what is'trending' then I am not really sure what do they have to fall back upon. If you wish to take this as a career choice, then give it your full. Don't only look for the moments of spotlight, dig for deeper knowledge.

7. Which is your favourite book and why?

' Like the Flowing River' - Paulo Coleho, and 

"The Journey Home' - Radhanand Swami.

- Himani Khurana (Artistic Director & Choreographer)

 - YouTube: Click Here

- Interviewed By Pratibha Sahani