A Chat With Shamayel Ghani

Why choose dance and when did you start?
Well my mother wanted me to be a singer to start with. I started to learn singing at a very young age; however I was always put off by the idea of coming back home and learning the lyrics, practicing them repeatedly. Also, I was always intrigued by the dance class that always took place right opposite to where my singing classes were held. So after that, I asked my mother and enrolled for dance lessons. I guess the universality of the language of dance drew me towards it.

Now that you're an established artist in dance, do you miss singing?
Not really, I still enjoy singing but not professionally. I mainly like singing for myself, that's it.

Since you're living in Canada now, do you have any plans of doing anything for Bangladesh in terms of dance?
Yes. I do plan on doing a recital here in Dhaka. As I've spent a significant part of my childhood here, I'd like to incorporate the various themes of life in urban and rural Bangladesh. I'd like to put together my exposure in both Dhaka and Canada and express it through my performance. Plus, I started learning to dance here with Shukla Sarkar, so I must do a show for Dhaka.

Any awards or accolades for your skills?
I performed at the Canadian Parliament once where I received an award, and throughout my University days, there were various competitions where I received some awards.

Where do you see yourself in the future, in terms of dance?
I was part of a fusion dance group in university, so I'd like to continue experimenting with the various themes and styles. I'm also a bank manager back in Canada, so I don't really get much time nowadays to practice, but ultimately I'd like to see myself as a competent teacher of dance, like my teacher and idol Sheela Chandrasekhar. So I try to take part in teaching amateur dancers and arranging talent shows at my workplace where I could help them.

by Mohaiminul Islam