Interview | Choreographer Sreejith P: I’m grateful, completely happy and proud about Moonwalk

When Moonwalk launched in theatres, probably the most emotional of the movie’s crew on the first day, first present, was Sreejith P, the choreographer of the film. “Even although I had watched the ultimate product, sitting there with the viewers jogged my memory of the arduous work and battle that went into making it. I couldn’t maintain again my tears,” says the 53-year-old, often known as Sreejith P Dazzlers, as he runs the dance studio, Dazzlers, in #Kochi.

The movie, he says, is particular for him on many counts. Directed by advert filmmaker Vinod AK, it tells the tales of some children in #Thiruvananthapuram of the late ‘80s in love with breakdance and the way they overcome obstacles to pursue their ardour. The narrative is impressed by the real-life tales of many breakdancers of yesteryear from throughout #Kerala, considered one of them being Sreejith himself.

“I entered the sphere at a time when the dance scene in #Kerala was on the cusp of change. Breakdance was nearing its sundown years, and cinematic dance strikes had been taking on. I might study each, and that helped whereas working within the film,” says Sreejith, who hails from Tripunithura close to #Kochi.

Sreejith provides that he had as soon as deliberate to make a film on breakdance. “I confronted many difficulties to study breakdance and needed to inform that story by means of a film. But again then I used to be not assured sufficient to make one. So when Vinod mentioned the topic with me, I used to be excited to be a part of it. We had labored on a couple of commercials by then. He needed to know my experiences, which I shared with him. I used to be completely happy that he was the one doing it as a result of he has been a pathbreaker within the promoting business. I knew that he might deliver out one of the best within the artistes.”

Moonwalk, he says, was no simple project. The actors, all new faces, regardless of being good dancers, weren’t accustomed to the breakdance period. “The narrative is such that these characters have solely fundamental details about the model and know only some strikes, like mirror impact, arm wave, rope transfer, popping and so forth. It was troublesome to mount a film on simply these steps. So I designed it in such a method that they progressively grasp the model and their ability peaks on the climax. That needed to be accomplished with out making it boring.”

The first step was making them develop the physique and the physique management of a breaker. “After coaching them to be proficient for the climax, we went to the start the place they needed to dance like inexperienced persons. It was troublesome to indicate this variation.”

Sreejith’s introduction to breakdance occurred when he was in Class 10, when he spent his trip at a relative’s home at #Thoppumpady in #Kochi. “When I watched a duo performing it at a church pageant I instantly fell in love with the music, the steps, the costumes and so forth. I met the dancer backstage, picked up some strikes from him and confirmed off these steps in class.”

He remembers the struggles behind choreographing a routine then. “The first job was to seek out the cassette as a result of I knew solely the tune and never the lyrics. I went to music retailers and sang the tune in order that they recognised the track. Finally I discovered the cassette I used to be in search of. The larger drawback was getting maintain of a tape recorder. So I pleaded with my household and even went on starvation strike till I bought one. That was the extent of craze I had for breakdance.”

Later he educated in breakdance at Cochin #Kalabhavan, the centre for studying performing arts in #Kochi, beneath Johnson Master. “I additionally attended a course by Attakkalari in Bengaluru, which impressed me to consider creating concept-based actions.”

Moonwalk is about in #Thiruvananthapuram, which had a breakdance model totally different from that of #Kochi. Even then Sreejith was chosen as choreographer as a result of he’s accustomed to #Thiruvananthapuram model as nicely.

“The #Kochi model was excessive on vitality with heavy, power-packed strikes, and components of rock n’ roll and disco, whereas in #Thiruvananthapuram it was extra trendy with deal with physique postures and perfection. They had extra data as nicely, due to the reference materials they’d, that’s video cassettes. Also, whereas #Kochi dancers danced in flashy, glittery costumes, these of #Thiruvananthapuram stored it formal.”

He had picked up #Thiruvananthapuram model from Footloosers, the pioneering breakdance academy within the State. “We had been followers of the vibe they created by mixing dance and acrobatics. On Friday evenings, a gaggle of us from #Kochi would head to #Thiruvananthapuram on our bikes. We practiced at Footloosers’ studio or at Shanghumugham seashore and returned on Sunday night.”

Fact file

After making his debut in #Malayalam cinema with Cinema Company (2012), Sreejith received the #Kerala State Award for Best Choreography for #Jo and the Boy (2015). He has choreographed for over 50 motion pictures in #Malayalam. He labored with AR Rahman on the video of the track ‘Hope’ from Aadujeevitham final yr.

Besides Dazzlers, Sreejith runs Boho Space in Tripunithura, a spot meant for efficiency artistes who’re in search of an area to work on their artwork. It is right here that he work on his new thematic productions.

Moonwalk has rejuvenated the breakdance group in #Kerala, he feels. “They noticed themselves within the characters. We dancers have a particular reference to our sneakers. I nonetheless keep in mind how completely happy I used to be once I noticed a white Action shoe for the primary time. Sura (Sibi Kuttappan), a personality within the film, feels immense pleasure when he will get such a shoe. While watching that scene on the theatre, we dancers checked out one another.”

The movie, he says, will stay a cherished chapter of his profession. “I’m grateful, completely happy and proud. Back then we didn’t have many phases to carry out. We had been regulars at homes the place weddings happened. That was the place even non-dancers used to shake a leg. They additionally might relate to the film.”

Sreejith provides that the breakdance period has not ended. “Many dancers disappeared from the scene and took up jobs pressured by their circumstances. When these dancers had been celebrated in the course of the launch of Moonwalk, the final tone was that there isn’t any future for the model. But it will survive similar to how theatre stood tall amidst the onslaught of a number of different types of leisure.”

Sreejith says as a choreographer he’s on an experimental journey at his enterprise, Boho Space. “The try is to reach at new ideas and actions. I’m engaged on a challenge involving Virtual Reality. There is one other manufacturing on the ‘use and throw’ idea, which, sadly, has seeped into relationships as nicely. I additionally plan to develop packages for these are emotionally harassed as dance relaxes you, makes you content.”

Meanwhile, he has additionally plans to direct a film. “Now I’ve gained confidence to method the craft. So I would give a attempt in future.”

Moonwalk is streaming on JioHotstar.