JOIN US'I don't enjoy doing films'
Choreographer Terence Lewis’ career spans over a period of 16 years, but he got fame and became a household name through television reality show Dance India Dance (DID).
He has been judging the TV show since its first edition in 2009. Metrolife talks to Terence about his first love--dance.
Specialised in contemporary and neoclassical dance forms, Terence says he is swamped with offers from Bollywood post his appearance on the TV show. But choreography for films is not something he enjoys.
“After doing the first two seasons of DID, I received many offers from big directors, but I did not pursue it. I don’t enjoy doing films. I don’t want to teach artistes one... two... three on the spot and make them look wonderful with the help of camera angles and great costumes,” he says.“But if somebody comes and asks me to set long shots and make an artiste dance with no cuts and no glitz and if someone like Hrithik Roshan, Madhuri Dixit or Aishwarya Rai agrees, I will do it,” adds Terence, who has choreographed for films like Shikhar and Naach.
And how does he judge the contestants on the show? He replies, “I have no qualms in calling a spade a spade. Every person has gone through a personal trauma but that should never be used as a means to get into a competition. My judgment is solely based on technique, skill and justice to choreography.”
Fame and popularity he might have received with DID but Terence insists that it is his love for dance which made him accept the role of a judge. “Am I doing this for money? No. Do I have to run my house? No, I already have a dance academy. I am doing this just for the love of dance. I want to see good dance. I want to teach good choreography and I want to popularise dance as an art form,” he says.
Synonymous with contemporary dance, Terence believes it is important to give a modern twist to classical dance to help generate people’s interest. “It’s an amazing tool to connect with people. It’s so powerful that without words you can have a dialogue. Dance uplifts my spirit and connects me with my higher self,” he says.
Terence, who also gives training at his dance academy, feels that most youngsters learn dance only for the sake of fame.
“I feel so proud when I see my students explore different avenues. The only grudge is that most of them do not love dance. They are here for the fame. If a film comes their way, they will leave dance. Dance is not their focus and that is what hurts me,” sums up Terence who is also the first Indian to receive the prestigious Dance WEB
Scholarship.