Arun Bhardwaj Tribal Fusion Belly Dance 

Dance Like A Man

Dance like a man

Arun Bhardwaj started dancing at the age of 16 in Pathankot. He learnt belly dancing, Odissi, Jazz, and Ballet. Today, though he loves belly dancing in its original form, he tries to fuse it with different art forms. When he started out he faced a lot of challenges, including opposition from his otherwise supportive and broad-minded parents. “Belly dancing, In India, is not acceptable for women; and men have it even tougher,” he admits.

“People judge you as soon as you tell them you are a belly dancer. However, if you practice Indian classical dancing, they are not as judgmental. I have learnt both, and the fact is that just like Indian classical dance, in belly dancing too, men and women play different roles but the steps and the process of learning is the same for both. Why then should we create a bias based on gender?” he asks. Nowadays, Bhardwaj sees a change; people watch his performance, applaud and congratulate him. There, however, is a long way to go. “None of my students in Pune, where I am based and hold my dance classes, are male. Men feel shy because of how people will perceive them. With workshops like this, I am hoping to begin to change that mindset,” he concludes.