Phulawa Khamkar winner of India’s first dance reality show Boogie Woogie Season 1. Phulawa’s achievements are as the result of sheer hard work and persistence. A much sought after choreographer in Marathi, South Indian film industry & Bollywood, she has groomed herself and evolved in the industry as per the latest trends. A Dancer, a Choreographer & Dance Studio owner we wish her super success!
What kind of dance appeals to you? What is your specialty?
Dance that touches your heart, dance that makes you smile, dance that makes you emotional & touches the heart appeals to me! I do not give importance only to the technique cause I believe that in dance soul comes first! I enjoy all dance styles including western styles, ballroom dancing, flamenco, tap dancing, classical Indian dance, folk & many more. As a performer I love two styles the most that is Contemporary & Kathak ! These styles suit my personality & give me immense pleasure.
My speciality??!!……hmmmm I am not sure yet as I am still searching & trying to figure out ….may be the combination of contemporary & Kathak….I love doing these two styles. While performing these styles I feel am totally in a different zone. I also like to perform on lyrics rather than only on a piece of music ! The poetry, the words in any song supported by music inspires me the most and that is my speciality. I like to perform on non dance songs too.
What does it take to be a sought after Choreographer? What is the success of your long innings?
Very difficult question….I actually do not think on those lines but truthfully I am happy with the kind of work I am doing currently & I wish to excel at the same! I could achieve this stage only because of my passion, determination, consistency, focus & of course loads of work! I was a sports person… a gymnast and we would practice for hours….may be that became a habit which still helps me in my profession as a choreographer….Being a sportsperson I knew what competition meant! In this cut-throat competitive world, one can survive only with a firm focus on our passion & not what other people are doing !
When others excel we should be the first one to congratulate them and this attitude is the result of my sports background. To compete unnecessary with others is very short term investment ….today’s fast & competent world I might sound very old fashioned but I strongly believe that this unnecessary cut throat competition kills the creativity so keep working on our own selves & that’s what going to take us a long way!!
If you ask me about my success then yes I do feel that I am successful to a certain extent in achieving my goals & setting few more goals for my future too 🙂 Being humble is one of the most important qualities for success. I truly believe that the kind of attitude you carry towards your profession & towards the people around you decides how far you go in life …..
You have recently started your Dance Studio. A Start-up! Congratulations! How challenging is it going to be to make this a good business model?
Thank you ! Yes it is like dream coming true & it was my dream to own a place in the heart of Mumbai where I can go anytime of the day and make people dance…..being in this profession of choreography….. I was completely dependent on rental places for rehearsals & classes ! I always thought of having my office but I did realise that except creative meetings rest of my work was on dance floor & to make it grow I needed to have my own space so started looking around ! I found one quickly and in a matter of 2 months everything just fell in place. I sold my Pune property & also raised a loan .I can proudly say that we own the most high tech dance studio along with sprung floor in Mumbai & that’s PSDG Dance studio! But with this excitement came the realization of the huge responsibility I have undertaken. The challenge of making it commercial success is a reality. Till date we were working with a staff of 15 people without a office & now we have one….we need to use this for dance & choreography!! We Need to plan & expand the PSDG Dance Studio ….I strive for professionalism and the doors of my studio are open for all. I am sure we will soon be one of the best ever studios in this profession….in this entertainment industry !
Who gave you the best piece of business advice to date?
None other than my better half, my best friend & my dear husband Amar Khamkar ! We are together since we were 16…..we grew together! He being in the business of spices always had his different point of view towards my profession! I think from my heart & he think from his head! This balance always worked for us….. When I started teaching gymnastics in 1990 he was the reason I found various places for classes, when in 2000 I was bed ridden after our marriage due to an accident for almost four months he advised me to start the dance class & in that bed ridden condition I wrote down the whole dance curriculum which we still follow in my dance class! When I had this studio in mind he is the one who exactly did all the monetary calculations and made it happen!
Who or what inspires you?
My inspiration lies within me….I am an extremist! Being a creative person I have my extreme highs and deepest lows. In moments of utter despair the only person who can make me climb up is me My inspiration is ME! It is dance that has helped in my most difficult phases…..the positive feeling within myself inspires me…. I believe in my innate inner strength.
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