For instance take his educational qualifications: he has a master of fine arts in dance, along with a graduate certificate in women's studies, from the University of Maryland, USA.

He had begun studying Western dance as an undergraduate computer science student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

His dance school too reflects his personality. It has presented several shows incorporating other dance traditions.

The Washington Post ran a lengthy story on him and his school early this year when the dance company presented a work titled Undercurrents. It reported: 'The work that began with a haiku, the spare Japanese poetic form, which the choreographer renders in movement, stripping it to the barest of essentials. Among his other works on the programme, the duet Lullaby parses a relationship through intertwining and outreaching arm gestures.'

One of Singh's acclaimed shows early this year offered gay dancing cowboys, classical Indian dance and traditional modern dance. He had invited several dance groups to join his performers in a single evening of eclectic entertainment.

Singh says watching Tamil and Hindi movies in India and then in America spurred him to bring together various dance forms and dance groups.

'Why shouldn't we do pieces from other cultures?' he mused in an interview. 'There's so much for us to learn.'

Photograph: A member of the Dakshina Dance company performing on stage

For more information on Dakshina Dance Company visit www.dakshina.org
Also read: Dance was Padmini's passion, not films

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