Tutting is the latest fad among funk dancers and clubbers in North East. Team Viva talks to boys who are spreading the dance fever in Delhi
It was Gangnam Style which caught the fancy of almost all street dancers last year. From Bollywood actors to DJs, everyone was seen grooving on the Korean hit number that ruled the roost for long. Now we have found the latest fad! The dancing style called Tutting is fast getting popular among Indian youth, especially those belonging to the North East.
The dance technique involves moving arms and fingers into angular shapes to the beats of the music. Meet James Debbarma, a 17-year-old Tutting dancer from Tripura. He started learning it one and a half years ago and now has become the face of this dance. “I learnt it from YouTube videos since there is no formal academy to learn Tutting. The other dance forms I have learnt are Mining and Animation. Animation is robotic type dance,” said the boy who is known as Hologram in dance circles. He is a student of Don Bosco School in Agartala. “Honestly it is 10 per cent from YouTube and rest is my own creativity and hard work. A lot of funk dancers and clubbers are jumping on the bandwagon. They perform on stages and private events,” he told us over phone from Agartala.
The local reports and YouTube videos suggest that it’s popular. Notably, a celebrity who has already mastered the Tutting moves is Megan Fox, who has demonstrated some crazy steps in movie This Is 40IJ. There two types of Tutting, one is using hands while other is done with fingers.
Saikat Debbarma, a second year student of Tripura Institute of Technology does hand Tutting. “I saw James and another guy Raikchak doing it and got inspired. Then I watched tutorials on YouTube. Now I have been doing it for eight months. My basic styles are Robotic, locking, Popping and Isolation,” said the dancer who likes to be called Isobot on stage. Saikat along with Raikchak are a part of eight-member group called Devastation Crew. Their Facebook page is liked by over 1000 people. “We have performed at schools, auditoriums and other events. We are planning to take part in Korean pop competition,” he said. However, these boys don’t plan to pursue it as a career since it is not a lucrative option. “We are not paid for the performances. There is no proper trainer or academy. So, I would just keep it as a hobby. If I get enough finances, I would love to start my own academy and promote the dance form,” said James. Saikat is more serious and even wants to go Mumbai to participate in dance reality shows. Tutting first became popular on YouTube in 2009. In particular, the “Finger Tutting” or “How to dance with your fingers” variety picked up and is now going viral. In no time, we can expect this craze spilling over to other parts of country.
(inputs from Unokali Assumi)