Inside a Lubhu studio, young dancers move gracefully, their bodies bending like the wind

Inside a Lubhu studio, young dancers move gracefully, their bodies bending like the wind.

They belong to a group of seven, currently rehearsing a dance routine. But to them, it’s beyond dance; it’s a story still being written, a rebellion, a dream. Basically, it’s preparation for a journey that could reach an international stage.

The group calls itself Innate Soul. They chose the name because they present art that emerges naturally and organically from within each performer.

The seven members include Renuka Gharti Magar of Palpa, Roshan Khati of Jhapa, Mani K. Rai of Ilam, Muskan Raut of  Bhojpur, Prem Chand Pandey of Kapilvastu, Luniva Maharjan of Kathmandu, and Prabriti Subba of Lalitpur.

Today, we look at this group through the eyes of Prem Chand Pandey.

Straight outta from Kapilvastu

Prem Chand Pandey, now a strong pillar of the group, began his journey in Yashodhara Rural Municipality, Kapilvastu. He started practising theatre at an early age while in the ninth grade. When his friends performed street plays with a local village group called “Buddha Natya Sangh,” Pandey joined in.

Since his society didn’t easily accept boys who danced or acted, he was often labelled with the mocking village term, nachaniya.

“Where I’m from, a boy who acts or dances is called nachaniya. That’s what they called me too. But that’s just an old way of thinking,” Pandey recalls.

Still, his inner desire was to live on stage. Along with friends Dhiraj Chauhan and Arvind Kumar Maurya, he registered an organisation called “Buddha Theatre,” trying to lay the theatre’s foundation right in the village. Their enthusiasm, registering an organisation with the administrative office at just 18–19 years old,  was remarkable.

From Shilpee’s stage to dance studio

After finishing high school, Pandey came to Kathmandu specifically to learn theatre and enrolled in a one-year course at Shilpee Theatre. He stayed on two more years there, working as well. During that time, alongside acting, he also learned the technical side of the stage,  lighting and stage management.

“It’s hard to survive in Nepal as an artist alone. You need some extra skills to make life easier,” he says to Onlinekhabar. “So I picked up other things too.”

During this period, he did a few plays, and it was through this journey that he met choreographer Mani K. Rai. In a physical-theatre play called Khamari, staged at Mandala Theatre by Ek Theatre Nepal, Prem Chand Pandey performed a physically driven role and it was during that production that Mani spotted the dancer’s potential hidden within him.

At the time, Pandey hadn’t danced as such. Mani, though he came from a hip-hop background, had found his own “soul” in contemporary dance.

In conversation, the two began discussing taking dance further. Innate Soul already existed as a group by then, and Pandey joined it.

Mani and other dancers formally established the group a year back. Members currently range from 18 to 30 years old. The group mainly participates in dance competitions and performs at events.

Mani serves as the group’s main choreographer, though Pandey says everyone’s role carries equal weight. At a time when dance groups in Nepal struggle to survive, Innate Soul has also tried to become somewhat commercially viable because from the very start, the group has proven itself to be top-tier.

Not long ago, they won an event in India. After that, in Nepal’s “World of Dance” competition, they won awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume.

The Thailand dream

The group is now preparing for the World of Dance Global event in Thailand, running from July 15 to 19. Dancers from over 25 countries will take part. JD Tamu will represent Nepal as a judge, while Innate Soul will compete as a contestant.

But Pandey says the journey to get there hasn’t been easy. With a large group comes a large financial burden, he says. Because of this, they’re currently searching for sponsors; flight tickets, registration fees, food, and lodging all require a significant amount of money.

“We’re raising funds and looking for partnerships with local brands,” Pandey says.

Because one member has exams, the group will compete this time in the “Mini Crew” category. Their contemporary routine won’t use any props; body language alone will have to win over the judges.

Close-Up: Prem Chand

For Pandey, dance is something far more than moving hands and feet. Coming from a theatre background, he sees dance as a language.

“Dance is a form of storytelling. Emotion and expression play a huge role in it,” he says.

He believes dance and theatre share a deep relationship. Just as theatre is a medium for social change, dance too can carry big messages through movement.

Their contemporary style blends floor work, lifts, and body flow. For this, they compose their own music and weave a bodily story into every beat.

“What defines our team is that we capture a character. Costume and emotion bring that character to life,” Pandey says. He feels Nepali society’s view of dance still hasn’t fully changed and believes senior dancers should offer more exposure to the next generation.