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"I think it's time for me to give back"- Madhuri Dixit

Whenever the subject of dance comes up, Madhuri Dixit is the reference point. Using her whole body language and rythm as an instrument to bring out the nuances of the mood, her spot on moves have inspired many cinema lovers. I was thrilled to bits when I heard that the star is in the process of launching an online dance academy.

Dance With Madhuri Dixit, as the academy is aptly called, is conceptualised by RnM Moving Pictures Ltd, a company jointly owned by Madhuri and her husband, Dr Sriram Nene. The online format is her husband’s brainchild, she reveals. “Ram is extremely tech savvy. Before he joined medicine, he had a company that wrote software. He ideated the online tutorials and gave them a gaming format.”

Her logic is simple. “I want everyone to experience the joy of dancing. Many don’t attend dance classes because they are shy of performing in front of others. Now, they can learn dancing in the privacy of their home. And don’t forget, dance is a good form of exercise, so there are health benefits too.” She elaborates on the cross platform approach, which also allows students to check their progress online. “The same content is available to you on your smartphones, on your iPads, your tablets, your laptops or your personal computers. You can spend your commuting time watching the videos and rehearsing the steps in your mind.”
Students can collect badges after having attended a certain number of classes and  redeem a set of badges for a small gift, perhaps a memorabilia signed by the dancing star herself!

Participants will also be able to post their own videos, she informs. “You can upload videos of yourself dancing and invite your friends to rate it. We will also have a panel of choreographers viewing these videos and rating them as well. If someone is exceptionally good, he or she will get a chance to meet me. And their video will be part of our hall of fame on the website.”

The actress is positive about her online platform, especially with the spread of 3G and 4G spectrums. “We can even share content with the local cable channels to reach a wider base. The possibilities are endless,” she adds with much gusto. Plans are in the offing to integrate the world’s best choreographers into her academy, although she assures she isn’t eating into the territory of the more traditional dance instructors. “At some point of time, I’ll get the best choreographers from the industry on board for the project. We’re one industry, after all. We want to get everything under one roof be it Indian classical, folk, hip hop or just Bollywood style and showcase it to the world. I plan to incorporate choreographers from US as well.”

It looks more like a social venture than a commercial cause and Madhuri maintains it is pure passion that prompted her and nothing else. “It’s a great medium for promoting new talent. I’d like to believe that there is someone out there with enormous talent but limited resources, waiting to get discovered.” She flashes her pearly smile and asserts, “For so many years, people have given me so much love, I think it’s time for me to give back...”

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