Just the right step

FUSION MOVES

Shruti Baskar has been dancing from the time she was three! Over the years, she has dabbled with various genres of dance like bharatnatyam, contemporary and jazz to name a few and won many prizes.

“I love dancing. From the age of three, I have been dancing. I started my journey in the field by learning bharatanatyam. As a kid, I lived in Dubai for a few years. So I used to perform at many Indian functions there, like the Independence Day celebrations, in front of celebrities. I have performed in front of Tamil actors like Khushboo, Senthil and Manivannan. So that’s how I developed a love for contemporary and Bollywood style dances,” notes Shruti, who is pursing her final-year bachelor of architecture at MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology. 

She came to Bangalore and continued her schooling and college here but always ensured that she retained her passion for dance. 

“Since I was into traditional dance earlier and contemporary later, I thought I needed a different style. That’s why I joined the Yana Lewis Dance Company for a while,” she says.

As a child, Shruti took part in many inter-school competitions and emerged victorious. She has even taken part in shows on channels like Asianet and leads flash mobs and fusion dances.

Currently the cultural secretary of her college, she makes sure that the students of her college continue to pursue dance despite their hectic academic schedule.

“There is a national-level fest called NASA for the students of architecture. So I have been helping the students prepare for that. Two years ago, I was a part of the team from our college for NASA and we came first among 25 teams,” she recalls. 

For now, Shruti has been busy with her internship, due to which she has less time for dance.

“But when you have the passion for something, you find time for it. So I somehow have been handling everything together. Though I am really busy with work and academics, I make it a point to practise dance whenever I can. Sometimes, I practise in the evenings after work,” she says. 

Her inspiration is Madhuri Dixit and she dances to many of the actress’ songs.

“In fact, it was my passion for dance that helped come in the top six of my college’s ‘Fresh Face’ competition,” she exclaims.

Busy with internship and the final-year of her college now, Shruti plans to pursue both architecture and dance when she graduates.

“I would love to take part in a TV show like ‘Dance India Dance’. Though many have asked me to apply for it, my parents felt it was better if I went for it after I finished studies. So hopefully, I will apply for it after I graduate.”