International Dance Day 2024: Saroj Khan to Vaibhavi Merchant, legendary choreographers of Bollywood 

Saroj Khan, Vaibhavi Merchant Pic/Instagram

Every year, April 29 is celebrated as International Dance Day. It marks the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), creator of modern ballet. This day aims to celebrate dance, revel in the universality of this art form across all political, cultural, and ethnic barriers, and bring people together with a common language - dance. Some call it artistic expression while others view it as a stress-buster. 'Dance' can be defined as body movements in sync and a celebration of physicality.

Bollywood, which is the epitome of larger-than-life performances has used dance as a means of storytelling. While actors execute iconic numbers breathing life into still, it is the choreographers who have worked hard behind the scenes to make it happen. Here's a list of some legendary dance masters who have and continue to rule showbiz.

Saroj Khan

Saroj Khan joined the industry at the age of three. She became a dancer when she was 10 years old and by 12, she was an assistant choreographer. In her career spanning five decades, Saroj Khan choreographed around 3500 songs. Some of her evergreen tracks are 'Ek Do Teen', 'Choli Ke Peechey Kya Hai', 'Hawa Hawai', 'Dhak Dhak Karne Laga', among others. The three-time National Award-winning choreographer, who was known for her collaboration with Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi, also worked with several millennial actors. Saroj Khan, who was fondly addressed as 'Masterji' by celebrities, passed away in 2020 at the age of 71 after suffering a cardiac arrest. Her last work was with her frequent collaborator and actor Madhuri Dixit in the multi-starrer 'Kalank'.

Remo D'Souza

While Remo has choreographed several songs in films, it was his television stint as a judge on the reality show 'Dance India Dance' that got him fame. From choreography, he ventured into direction and made his debut with the comedy film 'F.A.L.T.U'. He then got his skill sets as a dance master to the forefront and directed the film ABCD: Any Body Can Dance which featured Prabhu Deva. This was followed by ABCD 2 with Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, and 'Street Dancer 3D'. He also directed 'Race 3' starring Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Daisy Shah, Saqib Saleem and Freddy Daruwala.

Vaibhavi Merchant

Vaibhavi Merchant, who is known for her energetic choreography started her career solo by setting the dance for 'Dhol Baaje' for the film 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' which won her a National Film Award. Over the years she has been the brains behind songs like Kajra Re, Crazy kiya re, Ainvayi Ainvayi, and Besharam Rang among others.

Farah Khan

Farah Khan has choreographed over a hundred songs in Bollywood and is the winner of a National Film Award. She bagged her first job when Saroj Khan walked out of the film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992). Farah is responsible for the iconic song 'Pehla Nasha'. She ventured into direction with films like 'Main Hoon Na', 'Om Shanti Om', and 'Happy New Year'. Some of her best dance numbers include 'Chaiyya Chaiyya', 'Ek Pal Ka Jeena', and 'Munni Badnaam Hui' among others.

Terence Lewis

Terence, who has judged reality shows like 'Dance India Dance' and 'Nach Baliye' and also choreographed in films like 'Lagaan', 'Jhankaar Beats', and 'Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela', among others once revealed that he left a government job to pursue dance as a career. He said, "I had never learned to dance; I used to dance instinctually. However, I followed my path and started taking fitness classes, earned money through it, and went to America to learn dance as I wanted to be a 'padha likha dancer'. So, I learned and came back and since then, my life has changed."

(With inputs from Agencies)