"Maybe I was Indian in a former life," says Tony Robinson, who has an affinity for all things Indian and is a self-professed Bollywood dancing machine. Robinson, 18, was hooked the moment he watched his first Bollywood movie two years ago: "I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen."
Bollywood is the Hollywood-like film industry in India, whose typical flick is an extravaganza of glamorous costumes, melodrama and elaborate song-and-dance sequences. "It’s the (song-and-dance) numbers that can make or break a movie," says Robinson.
The movies are so popular that they generate new dance moves and styles with every production — think Saturday Night Fever in the ’70s — that permeate the Indian nation and are beginning to make their way westward (with Bollywood dance classes popping up in New York and London).
Bollywood grooves are rooted in traditional Indian folk dance with elements of more modern dance forms — some moves are even reminiscent of break-dancing. But there’s much more than just the steps. Certain hand gestures connote emotion and tell a story along with the music.
"I learned to dance by copying the sequences in the movies, but now I like to make up my own moves and routines," says Robinson. He performs, usually with a group of friends, throughout the year at several Indian festivals and parties. "I usually sp/files/storyimages/about six hours a week choreographing numbers, and now instead of picking one song, we mix songs together using the best parts of each," he says.
The music is a big part of the Bollywood dance craze. Its thumping, swirling notes are cheesy, yet catchy, and compel listeners to shake and shimmy their shoulders. To bring a performance home, a proper costume is essential. Robinson has five outfits, his first bought on Devon Street in Chicago, a street known for its Indian retailers. "I plan to expand my wardrobe during a visit to India next year," he says.
In Robinson’s other life he goes to school at Jefferson Community College and works at UPS. He plans on getting his degree in business and is not sure if he will parlay his dancing into a career. "It has grown to be a big part of my life," he says. "I know no matter what I do, I will always dance."