Floorburners

You thought tough guys can���������t dance. Wrong. In new-age Tollywood, male superstars seem to have lightning in their feet.
And much like their counterparts Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor et al of Bollywood films, NTR Jr, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan Tej, Ram, Prabhas and Gopichand are abundantly showcasing their dancing skills and wowing audiences with their intricate moves and grooves. In fact, choreographers are asked to design dance sequences wherein the younger actors would be able to shimmy and shake.
Reigning star NTR Jr displayed his dancing brilliance in Student No 1 and went on to become a dancing sensation after his breathtaking numbers in Simhadri and Yamadonga. The actor confesses that, ���������dancing��������� is ���������a passion��������� and insists that he even got back on his feet fast after his back injury to ���������hit the dance floor for my films. It wasn���������t easy to put on my dancing shoes since there was a lot of pain, but my love for dancing made it possible. I am a trained Kuchipudi dancer... I started learning it when I was four years old and I think the classical training is really helping me.���������
Allu Arjun, the man with jelly bones and often considered the most flamboyant dancer in T-town became a floorscorcher in Arya and gradually upped the ante with high-on-adrenaline numbers in Bunny and Desamuduru. In keeping up with that rage, Allu performed some intricate movements in Arya 2 (Ringa Ringa and Poye Poye). ���������I enjoy dancing a lot, but smart and imaginative choreography make the job fun and simple,��������� he says.
For Ram Charan Tej, matching steps with his superstar dad Chiranjeevi���������s wasn���������t an easy one. After impressing the audience in the dance sequences in Chirutha, the Gen X star did a racy number Bangaru Kodipetta (shot earlier on Chiru) and surprisingly stole hearts too. Charan says, ���������All my colleagues are very good dancers. It���������s important to remember that there���������s more to dancing than stretching one���������s hands and legs to the beat of a song. Dancers should have an inherent elegance and rhythm. I think dad and Amitabh Bachchan had that perfect blend of grace and charm. I haven���������t acquired those qualities yet.��������� However, Charan promises a couple of foot-thumping dance numbers in his upcoming film Orange.
Ram, who impressed in films Ready and Maska, believes that ���������dancing is not all about keeping the ���������beat in mind. A good dance number requires great synchronisation, rhythm and of course grace. In order to get my act right, I hear the number as many times as I can, until I get the right feel. Then I discuss the sequence with the choreographer so that we can choose the appropriate steps. My next film has two elaborate dance numbers including a ballet,��������� he says with relish. Not to be left behind, even action stars like Prabhas (Billa) and Gopichand (Ranam and Sankam) have begun to shake their legs. ���������I just need to rehearse for a couple of days and after that I can do a dance sequence well,��������� says Gopichand.
Pretty Hansika who���������s boogeyed with NTR Jr (Kantri), Allu Arjun (Desamuduru) and Ram (Maska) says, ���������All of these actors are such wonderful dancers that I had a tough time matching steps with them. They bring in lot of energy, attitude and grace to mesmerise the audience. Great dancers challenge the skills of choreographers who have to come up with refreshing concepts for every film.��������� Seasoned choreographer Krishna Reddy who has designed dance sequences for 130 films all over the south, feels, ���������If stars are good dancers, then it���������s a huge advantage for choreographers. We can think out of the box and design new concepts for a five-minute number. Telugu film songs now rely a lot on jazz and hip-hop. More and more dancing stars will make us push the envelope.
Well as long our superstars perform heart-stopping dance sequences and woo their audiences, the moves would be worth the effort.