PUNE INDIA - Marion Lane aims to not only introduce but also popularise dancesport in India, for which Pune is a promising destination

It broadens the mind, it strengthens the heart and it lifts the spirit. That is how Marion Lane delineates dance, which has evolved her as a personage, and which she has involved herself into, ever since childhood.

Lane holds a fellowship in each of the dancesport styles that include a range of dances like modern ballroom, Latin American, classical sequences and club dance. A dance teacher for 25 years Lane, is also an examiner to the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD), a dance examination board that trains dancers worldwide.

"I would like people to see dance as an education, an approach that is missing in India. Elegance, which is the most important aspect of dance, is in abundance in the women here. There is wakefulness as well as potential around. My ambition is to qualify teachers who are internationally certified to create competitors who will put the floor in motion globally," she adds.

Lane, a lecturer at teaching congresses, is in the city to conduct a workshop along with her student Tanushree Rakshit. Speaking on the dance arena she says, "I would label my tryst with the dance enthusiasts in India very successful. Salsa is extremely popular here but the other dance forms need to be introduced by qualified teachers. The styles will hopefully become very popular in the next three years. The dance styles evolve each day and one needs to keep oneself updated to pass on authentic knowledge. I sometimes observe imperfect methods of teaching; my ambition is to create able trainers who can pass authentic knowledge. Many youngsters here want to follow dance and therefore I want to help them utilise the opportunities available, to become global competitors."

The increasing reality dance shows provide a partial platform to explore the styles, according to Lane. "Some of the reality shows, to a degree, portray the actual dance styles. Most of the times it is a fusion of two or more. However they have created a lot of awareness. In England, the age group of learners varies from five years to 50 years. It is a misconception that the dance is limited to the youth."

Lane’s trainings mainly concentrate on Latin American and modern ballroom.

Considering the newness of dancesport in India Lane says, "We will have to start from scratch but ISTD will aim at converting the dance teachers into coaches with official recognition. My workshops in Pune and Mumbai have been immensely winning and coaches like Michael Stylionos are keen to teach here. I will try to provide a platform for the students of dance."