The stereotype of attires between men and women has been prevalent in India for ages now. Men wear pants, women wear skirts – that’s how it has always been. During festivals, especially Navratri, the ghaghras or the long skirts with flairs and intricate work in them, are worn by women as special attire designated for this occasion. So far, this was the norm which was not just appreciated but celebrated by dancers all over.
Changing this whole pattern is like changing the mindset of society. However, Thangaat Garba has achieved this with a lot of hard work and dedication. Creativity is also one of the unique selling points of this Garba school. And therefore, founders Parth Patel and Ankit Upadhyaya came up with a brilliant idea of “why should only girls wear ghagra?” While one dances with the ghaghra, there is a certain glamour to it along with the extra fun while taking circles and doing the barrel step.
This is not just something they performed on ground. This also became a whole trend online. First, Parth Patel and Ankit Upadhyaya decided to post it on their official Instagram page with no expectations but only hope that people will accept their dance and like it. However, with whopping 132 Million views on YouTube Shorts & 17 Million views on Instagram, the whole video took over the entire social media, getting viral on all the platforms possible! This was a huge milestone for the garba class as no other institute in the same circle has been able to wither break any stereotypes or set a record like Thangaat Garba has.
The first man in the Navratri circle to wear a ghaghra and flaunt it proudly was Parth Patel. “The idea is to close that gap between the audience. Dancing with a ghaghra is a lot more fun to be honest and why should only girls have all the fun? The sheer grace that wearing that colorful skirt imparts is beyond words. When I wore it for the first time, I felt proud and glorious! One of our moves that men in our class excel in is the barrel step. While wearing a ghaghra and doing it is taking the not just the visual element higher but also letting the dancers fully enjoy their movements. I have seen other men following this after we broke the stereotype this year at Falguni Pathak’s Garba ground.”
Ankit Upadhyaya agrees to this and says, “yes, the traditional kediyu – be it from a Kutchi style pattern or one designed with intricate lacework and mirror work along with the flair – ghaghras have their own beauty. Yes, of course we love wearing the kediyu, but one of our ideas was also to break the barriers on who can wear what. Nowadays even women wear dhotis and the kediyu of different patterns and play with the men. So why limit something and hinder all the enjoyment while dancing? I feel like this is one thing that all men should do. There is nothing more liberating than taking those circles and doing the Garba steps with a ghaghra.”
Thangaat promises to deliver something that most classes lack – not just teaching the same robotic movements that everyone teaches to ‘by-heart’, they are all about putting soul into all the movements. Don’t believe us? Check out their videos online!
YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFvVAs992LkFUXF2V2WU77Q
https://www.instagram.com/thangaatgarba/
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