One of India’s most popular dancers and entertainers, Amardeep Singh has popped and locked his way into our hearts after coming in second in Dance+3. His unique beats in Robotics has made him stand out from other Indian contemporary dancers, earning the title of ‘Passion + Patience’. Read below as Amardeep digs into his journey, art and the inspiration that keeps spiraling into passion.
Interview
Questions and answers
Can you remember the first time when you danced your heart out or any incident that had impacted you?
I had never thought of becoming a dancer when I was in school. There was an annual day rehearsal where I got selected. They gave us 3-4 steps to do, after which they asked us to dance our steps, without any choreography. They just wanted to see our real talent and our confidence, to select us accordingly. All of us were dancing one by one, so when it was my turn, I danced for a bit but then I started running and hid under my class desk because I couldn’t dance and everybody made fun of me. This incident had impacted me a lot, and I decided to improve my dancing skills. I also used to dance a lot during Navratri and Ganpati visarjan. I used to forget about everything and concentrate on my dance. I would dance my heart out during the festivals.
We've heard the story but have got to ask; is it true that you saw a robot welcoming guests at a wedding, and that inspired you to develop your style?
It is a true story. So when I was attending a wedding with my family, there was a robot who was welcoming the guests. I was astonished, and I also wanted a Robot that would do my homework and fly me to my school. We went inside, and when we were eating dinner at the wedding, I saw that the robot was sitting and eating too. He was sitting at a visible range from me, I was surprised, and I thought that wow this robot eats, so we don’t even have to worry about recharging his battery. That’s when my mom said to me that it wasn’t a real robot. Instead, it was a person who was doing robotics. There are some memories and moments from childhood all of us remember, for me, this was one of them. So, when I started dancing, I added robotics in my dance style because I had found it very unique, and this is how I developed my style of dancing.
You became the first runner up in Dance Plus 3. Can you talk a bit about it, and in what ways has life changed after winning the show?
I have spent my life living in a 10 x 10 house, the house where we had to add extra water to make enough food for everyone. I had a hard life and had to struggle a lot, we lived in chawls, but I always hated it when people sympathized with me. Despite everything, I never gave up on myself or my dreams. Whoever I am, I am because of my parent’s love and support. After I became the first runner up, I got a lot of love from people across India. Eventually, things got better. I went on a world tour, and our financial condition improved. Life has become a lot better after winning the show. All this has taught me that more than your success what matters is what you do after that success. I am very grateful and blessed that God has chosen me to inspire other people.
People may or may not know this: you also auditioned in the first and second season, but weren't selected. Did that amplify the fact that, after years of hard work, you came out on top 2?
It didn’t affect me, honestly and, I remember telling Remo Sir during auditions that even if I don’t get selected this time, I still have 9 years in my hands to keep auditioning as the age limit is 35 years. I was confident enough that I won’t give up, I will keep auditioning till I don’t get selected.
You were given the title of "Passion+Patience" for your dedicated struggle for dance before you even went on Dance+. Does that title mean something to you or do you feel the pressure to live up to that?
Yes, I did get the title of Passion+Patience which is very inspiring. I always have this pressure of maintaining the title as not everyone is lucky enough to get a title. I don’t want to lose the title. Which in a way motivates me to perform better as a choreographer, singer, model and dancer. I want to keep doing good in my life and inspire as many people as I can. My purpose of dancing is mainly to inspire people and the title helps me do that.
What is your primary style? - we know you do Robotics, Lock-Pop and Hip-Hop too. But do you have a style you lean towards more?
I do robotics, hip hop, popping, I do krump and also Bollywood. There is no such style I lean towards as I want to gain expertise in all of them.
How do you navigate yourself in the midst of your highs and lows?
Let me answer this question in a different manner. Imagine you are a car, your favourite one, and now it is essential for you to accept that you are going to have to face a lot of speed breakers and have accidents in your life. At times, you would even have a flat tire but you have to forget all of this and work hard only so that you can reach the Expressway of your life. This is the philosophy I have always believed. Even with all the wounds and pain, you have to keep going!
Can you tell us for how long (in years) have you been dancing?
I have been dancing since 2006. The first time I danced was because of Hrithik Roshan’s movie that I had watched because of my friend, who forced me to watch it at the time. I was so inspired by Hrithik Roshan’s style and aura of dancing. I was born on 8th July 1990 so its been more than 25 years since I have been dancing.
When a career path leads away from academia, especially in India, it attracts a lot of criticism. Can you give us some insights on that?
I never took any criticism seriously in my life. I did whatever my parents told me. There is a piece of advice to people who are facing this that I have faced in my life. I would just like to tell them that you will be able to make ends meet if you work hard enough. You have to work hard and do what you love no matter what they do or say, because they are anyway going to criticize you.
You've had a career that went from a dancer contestant to a choreographer today. How do you feel when you look back at this vibrant journey of yours?
I am thankful to my parents and everyone around me. At times, when life got hard, I became more persistent. I am clean, I have never in my life smoked or done drugs, I have always had my morals and strong values and that’s something I am proud of. It was a very big thing for me to win the dance show and I couldn’t be more grateful for all the love that I have received. I am not used to all the fame that I am getting. I get very emotional when I look back in my life.
Lastly, who inspires you, both: in general and in the industry?
It’s Hrithik Roshan. He has been an inspiration from the time I first saw his movie. I also had the chance to meet him, which was a very memorable experience of my life. Hrithik Roshan is an exceptional person, and I very much look up to him.