CHENNAI: Interactive tutorial videos on the internet for anything from education to music are gaining momentum in the city. So, why not have an online platform for dance? Three graduates from the National Institute of technology (NIT), who are also dancers, set on a journey to launch an online dance platform that provides affordable and easily accessible dance classes to anyone, regardless of their location. City Express chats with founders of ‘The Verb Studio’, Bharath Kumar J, Ilangovan KS and Rahul Chandra, to know more…
For Bharath, learning dance during college days meant travelling 20 km to the city every day. “My college was far from the city...and travelling back and forth to take classes was tiring. However, I was able to join the college dance troupe and dance eventually became a part of my life,” says the civil engineering graduate.
But after graduation, Bharath rues that he couldn’t continue taking dance lessons since there were no qualified instructors in his locality. “I couldn’t plan my day according to the class timings and being a slow learner, it became a problem for me. That is when the idea of online dance classes struck me...that's how this journey began,” he shares.
Launched on June 14, The Verb provides a platform for people who cannot go to regular dance classes or want to learn at their own pace. “Some people are shy to learn the art in person, so online platforms naturally become their haven. And yes, we are not the only online dancing platform in India, but we have advantages in terms of technology and features,” opines Ilango.
The online platform got more than 100 registered users from across the globe in two weeks of its inception and the founders are ecstatic. Talking about a testimonial from a user in Shillong, Bharath says, “He said that urban dance styles are not taught in their studios. So, having access to The Verb became his source to learn.” With the user interface being friendly and the use of multiple camera angles/mirror view making it a lot easier to follow up on classes, he explains that it helps the dancers to learn at ease.
With online classes offering a flexible and customised way of learning, Rahul says all one has to do is log into their account. “One can even interact with peers and instructors through our closed Facebook community. Through our platform, dance reaches all over the world where internet has reached…and everyone will have the opportunity to learn from top instructors,” he shares. The portal has five instructors — Ravi Varma, Rockyn, Girish Nair from Chennai, ‘Bboy’ Shane and Velu Kumar from Bangalore.
Can any trained professional come on board with The Verb? “Yes! Any trained professional dancer can on-board with us. They need to share their profile and our team will do a background check before they are selected,” elucidates Rahul. The classes will be divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. “This way, it becomes easier to opt for the class you want.
The classes are well-formatted, which helps you learn different styles of dance and even review your performance,” explains Rahul.
Currently, The Verb has urban, locking, hip hop and breaking style classes. “We will soon host instructors in styles like Zumba, Bollywood and classical dance,” adds Ilango.