Shallu Jindal plans dance academies in Delhi, Odisha

What began as a hobby to keep fit gradually transformed into a passion for dancer Shallu Jindal, who plunged into the depths of Kuchipudi to surface with plans for a full-fledged dance academy.
Shallu, who was drawn to dance from her childhood and underwent training in Kathak began to learn Kuchipudi under Raja and Radha Reddy post her marriage to steel magnate and politician Naveen Jindal.
"I have finalised plans to set up performing centres for dance in Delhi and Odisha. The centre will offer training to youngsters and even older people in various forms of dance and music," Shallu Jindal told PTI in an interview.

The dance academy is planned to come up by 2014.
Shallu, had very recently given a solo Kuchipudi recital here during which she danced to a bhajan sung by Meera Bai as also to other sufi and hindustani numbers.
"It was a completely classical repertoire but the bhajan was in hindi. It was my idea but my guru Raja Reddy did the complete choreography," says the classical dancer.

According to Shallu, dance is her life force, something which gives her the energy to face whatever each day brings with it.
"It has been 12 years since I began Kuchipudi. Of course it is a lot of hardwork and discipline but God has been very kind to me. It is a tapasya. I want to give back to society. Setting up the Jindal Centre for Performing Arts has been my dream for many years," says the dancer.

The academy in Delhi, she says will include Kuchipudi as well as other dance forms both classical and modern.
"We want to concentrate on kathak, Odissi and genres like Bollywood dance, Latin American, Russian ballet and jazz. Music will include Hindustani vocal and instruments like the tabla etc," says the dancer.
The centre in Angul, Odisha would be bigger and emphasise primarily on Odissi and Kuchipudi.
"While in a city like Delhi space is a big constraint, in Odisha it will be something modelled on the lines of the Kalakshetra in Chennai or even Mallika Sarabhai's dance school. I don't want to lose our classical repertoire," says Shallu Jindal.

Moreover, the danseuse opines that the need of the hour is a greater promotion of the classical arts.
"The classical arts needs to be promoted more and more academies should be set up across the country. The state governments can take a leading role and introduce more festivals that will provide opportunities for young people to perform," she says.