“Don’t Shy Away From Being Bold And Beautiful,” Says Jainil Mehta – The Dance Revolutionary

A celebration dedicated to the artistry and creativity of choreographers around the world, International Choreographers Day is celebrated on January 9 every year. This day acts as a tribute to the visionaries who bring movement and rhythm to life, shaping the language of dance across diverse cultures and genres. Choreographers play a pivotal role in translating emotions, stories, and concepts into mesmerising performances that evoke varied emotions within you.

Since the golden age, dance instructors and academies have been instrumental in uplifting our country’s many dance forms. India’s rich cultural heritage has always been deeply rooted in dance. From traditional dances like Bharatanatyam and Kathak to modern dance styles like Bollywood and hip-hop, our country boasts the best talent. And in the past few years, there has been quite a surge in interest in the art form.

Thanks to pop culture, movies, and social media, “dance” as an art form is widely recognised as a profession today. On the special occasion of International Choreographers Day, we explore the empowering dance journey of a global artist, Jainil Mehta.

Also Read: International Men’s Day: Men who are breaking stereotypes and nailing it!

Meet Jainil

Jainil Mehta is an Indian dancer who is seen gracefully strutting away in skirts, challenging conventional norms on the streets of New York City and Mumbai. His confidence and courage to break gender stereotypes within the Indian community is immensely inspiring. He quickly became an internet sensation after impressing viewers with his dance performances while adorning a skirt.

Mehta believes that art and clothes cannot be segregated on the lines of gender. When he posted dance videos in skirts, many people supported him, and the Instagram hashtag ‘#MenInSkirts’ started evolving into a movement, and it was the audience that crowned him for breaking gender stereotypes. The fact that he could do something to reignite the topic of gender tropes associated with clothing, art forms, and working roles, was exhilarating for him.

On The Professional Front

Originally from Mumbai, Jainil trained at Shiamak Davar Dance Academy, for thirteen years and graduated Summa Cum Laude with his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance with a Discovery Scholars Distinction. He was a Company Dancer at Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company and is trained in a range of dance forms such as jazz, ballet, hip-hop, Indian classical, and more.

J-Flow is a dance style that Jainil has created himself. It is a movement, technique, and expression-rich dance form which is an amalgamation of his varied life experiences. Mehta has choreographed music videos for artists such as Big Wild’s “6’s to 9’s” and Falguni Pathak’s “Jode Rahejo Raaj.” Additionally, he teaches dance classes virtually and in person across countries like India, Pakistan, China, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and the United States.

He was also selected as a choreographer at the Playdate Residency, funded by the National Endowment of the Arts, and has choreographed and designed four dance productions, Ctrl Alt Delete (2023), DECODED (2018), Alankar (2017), and Chimera (2015). Jainil is one of the selected choreographers for Winning Works 2024 commissioned by Joffrey Ballet Chicago.

Photo Credit: Hemang Ganguly

Cross-Cultural Grooves

Jainil used to learn and perform a lot of folk, classical, and Bollywood dances in India. Mehta said that there is a stark difference between dance forms like hip-hop, jazz, ballet, etc. performed in India vs. in the West. The Western dance styles are Indianized to cater to the Indian audience while the Indian dance forms are Americanized to capture their audience.

Even the dance training in India is relatively steady and slow-paced, focusing more on grace, audience engagement, and commercialization. In the US, the Western dance forms are pretty raw and in their original form. Even the training is more technical, quick, and interactive. The choreographer finds this mix of cultures fascinating, and since he has the taste of both communities, he appreciates the uniqueness and flavour that make them stand out. 

Dance Creator

Content creation has opened up new avenues for him. From only performing on-stage, he now does content planning, costume design, cinematography, and choreography. The content creation journey has made him comfortable in front of the camera and made him realize that he can be a dancer, model, actor, and entertainer- all at the same time. 

Photo Credit: Aayush Khator

The Social Nation team had a quick chat with Jainil Mehta to dive a little deeper into the choreographer’s mind and love for dance. Read on to know more:

What did dance mean to you as a child?

Dance was a safe space for me. Growing up, I did not have many friends around who I’d hang out with. Dance was something that gave me security and brought joy!

Who has been the biggest influence in your life to pursue your dream of being a dancer & choreographer?

My family. Quite cliché, but my family was one support system that has been with me throughout. I started creating choreography in the kitchen with my house help and performed in front of my family in the living room. That’s been my entire childhood at home.

On World Choreography Day, what message would you want to give to parents whose children wish to take this career route?

Dance and choreography bring movement to your life in every aspect. Let your child be creative, intellectually curious and passionate. Careers are now becoming more blurred because of collaboration, change and open-mindedness. There is scope for anything and everything so don’t shy away from being bold and beautiful.

As a choreographer, which is the one dance style that is the easiest to learn and one that is difficult?

All styles are difficult. But since my dance training has been so versatile, I am a chameleon when it comes to creating. If I have to choose for myself, then contemporary would be the easiest and partnering would be the most difficult.

Who is that one person who you choreographed and are proud of it?

Ah, this is difficult! I’m proud of all the celebrities I choreographed for. Each one of them have been so humble. Be it Mrunal Thakur, Nakuul Mehta, Nikita Dutta or Drashti Dhami, I have connected with everyone on a personal level. Internationally, I have choreographed for music artist Big Wild and that was huge for me.

One person you would like to choreograph, this year?

Many. But I have connected with Dulquer Salman already. We have got to find time and match schedules to create something.

What do you think will be the biggest dance trend in 2024?

I think trends keep coming and going. I see that crediting choreographers rightfully will be the biggest achievement the dance industry could have in 2024.

Knowing Jainil Mehta’s journey only makes you go on and ‘Dream to Dance.’ He believes that everyone should enjoy their uniqueness and be comfortable in their skin. A content creator who is doing much more than just making content, he is dancing his way through life so gracefully. Scrolling through his feet-tapping content has definitely made us want to dance our hearts out, and you should too!