Dance
16 expert tips that can help Indian dancers achieve international success
Shantanu Maheshwari lists out some pointers from personal experience that can help Indian street dancers make it big on international stages.
Shantanu Maheshwari is an Indian dancer and actor who has achieved a lot on the international stage.
As part of the Desi Hoppers crew, he won World of Dance in Los Angeles in 2015. And before that he had starred in the Channel V show Dil Dosti Dance.
Here we speak with Shantanu for his tips on how Indian street dancers can become internationally successful.
01
Set some targets for yourself
“When I started off, I just wanted to dance. As I grew up, I realized it can become a career as well. So then I wanted to become a choreographer,” says Shantanu.
“Target number 2 for me was representing India in dance on an international level.
“Target number 3 for me was acting; which became a goal for me later in life when I realized I really enjoyed acting.”
Shantanu Maheshwari
© Ali Bharmal
02
Once you know what you want to do, draw a path to achieve it
“I was part of Street Soul Dance Crew when I was in college. We used to talk about representing India on different international competitions like Hip Hop International and America’s Got Talent. But there were never any Indian auditions for those,” says Shantanu.
His crew Desi Hoppers eventually paved the way for themselves through personal financing and effort.
03
Make a list of international stages you want to dance
“Hip Hop International is what we were aiming at. Then America's Got Talent started and in the first few years was very good. And then later on World of Dance picked up as we were researching other competitions. But yeah, Hip Hop International was the biggest target for us,” says Shantanu.
He also adds that for Indians today, Red Bull BC One and Juste Debout are great community events to target.
04
Develop your own unique style as an Indian dancer
Most street dances originated outside India, so when Indians were learning these dances, they were learning them as they were created with no Indian aspect to it. Shantanu says what sets us apart is our Indian flavour.
“[The early Indian dance crews] would try doing what others were doing; trying to ape Western style. But they wouldn’t be putting their own style into it. If I'm copying an international style, I can't compete against international dancers while doing the same style as them; I have to put in my own X factor so I look different or offer something unique,” says Shantanu.
“I'm not saying like completely fusion because ultimately you have to be authentic to the style also. If I'm doing hip-hop, obviously it needs to follow the fundamentals of hip-hop, but I feel you should have an X factor so you stand out from international hip-hop dancers,” he adds.
05
Think about your WOW factor in your dance
Aside from bringing some Indian flavour to international dance styles, Shantanu also says think about things that seem simple to us as Indians but might surprise an international audience.
“Just dancing will not help you to survive the competition because it's also about a WOW factor to win. Do something that will make the audience and judges say ‘WOW’ when seeing your dance. V.Unbeatable had that when they won America’s Got Talent. [The flips of V.Unbeatable] is something Indians have seen before in our reality shows, but for the international crowd it was very different and a huge WOW moment.”
06
Don’t be so focused on achievements that you forget to enjoy dance
“When I was doing World of Dance, that is when it hit me – it's not just about competition, it's about celebration. Dance as an art form should be celebrated it. Healthy competitions are important but it is about growth as a person.”
07
Take inspiration from Indians who made it big earlier
Shantanu lists quite a few people and crews that made it big internationally and can inspire you. This includes his own crew Desi Hoppers that won World of Dance and were invited to perform at America’s Got Talent and Chinese talk show Day Day Up.
There’s also Kings United that won NBC'S World of Dance and were bronze medallists at World Hip Hop Dance Championship. V.Unbeatable won America’s Got Talent: The Champions. And also Bad Salsa, the duo that were finalists at America’s Got Talent and participated in Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions.
08
Participate in Indian legs of international competitions
Shantanu says one of the best ways to represent India internationally is by participating in Indian qualifiers for international competitions.
“With Red Bull Dance Your Style coming to India, it shows that we have a lot of potential in Indian dancers. It is a community dance event where the exposure is very high. And while our dance teachers could not go international, if we win Red Bull Dance Your Style, we can represent India on an international stage.”
Participants perform at the Red Bull Dance Your Style 2021 India Finals
© Ali Bharmal
09
Have a good mentor for when you reach the international stage
“When you get that opportunity, you have so much going on in your head that it's very hard for you to be able to deliver your best. So I think it is important to have a mentor – someone who has witnessed it all before – to help you understand what you need to do and tell you how to go about it.”
10
Don’t be fazed when competing against better dancers
“When we were at World of Dance, we were competing against Poreotics and we had grown up watching their performances on YouTube. We then started thinking, ‘Oh my god, am I supposed to compete against the people I learnt from? They must be much better than me.’ And it’s very easy to get stuck in that bubble of self-doubt. But I’m glad that we had the belief in ourselves and the right kind of mind-set because we reminded ourselves that we were also good that’s why we were on the same stage as Poreotics.”
Shantanu Maheshwari
© Ali Bharmal
11
Be confident in your own abilities, because you are probably as good as international dancers
Speaking about how good Indian dancers are compared to international dancers, Shantanu says that we are among the best from what he has seen.
“Yeah, Indian dancers are definitely at least 7 on 10 in terms of talent. And we have the potential to go 10 on 10, but it's all about the right guidance, right mentality and right attitude. My crew, we never thought we would be in an international dance competition, you know? But we had the right attitude, knew our skills, and we knew what to highlight and what weaknesses to hide.”
12
What’s holding Indians back from being internationally successful?
“I think definitely money, confidence, and I think we might not be improving as dancers because we aren’t taking criticism too well right now. Self-criticism is very important, and also taking criticism from others is important. I think social media has made getting appreciation so easy that we’ve forgotten how to take criticism that can help us grow as dancers.”
13
Rely on your strengths when you are performing
“Two things I think Indian dancers have lots of are will and grit. Doesn’t matter what happens, we give our 100 per cent. We don’t care about wounds and body pains because we have that spirit; and I’ve not seen that among international dancers.
“Just before our (Desi Hoppers) performance at World of Dance, we had technical rehearsals and my crewmate Jack fell and hurt his back. But we had to perform in two hours and he did everything he had to and performed his best. I know something similar happened with Kings United; they had a big injury in their crew but they pulled off a great performance because of that spirit.”
Shantanu Maheshwari
© Ali Bharmal
14
Think of opportunities other than dancing
Shantanu says not making it as a dancer is not the end of the world. Dance teaches you skills that could be used in dance-adjacent jobs.
15
Try to participate in as many online competitions as possible
“A lot of international events are conducting preliminary rounds online now. So it's easier for us to participate in international events. It also helps build confidence because you are comfortable in your own space, no language problems when travelling abroad, and you also don’t have to think about whether you have support in the crowd or not. Just dance from home and surround yourself with crewmates if needed.”
16
When targeting big things, be true to your art
“Don't just target reality shows to get quick international success. There are a lot of plus points to international reality shows, but if your reason for doing it is just for fame, you might not be fulfilled as an artist. So remember your goals and remember why you started.”