SATURDAY NIGHT FERVOUR! DESPITE ‘DEARTH-E-DISCO’
A recent trend in weekend parties is,’ The D.J. night’ .Due to ‘dearth-e- discothèques’ in town, Surtis now organize dance parties at their own private premises to boogie their blues away.So, within a room, hall or terrace, you have a sound system that blares away, put up along with a strobe and some flashy laser lights, all handled by the local D.J .The invitees wade in from 10 P.M.onwards to dance in wild abandon through the night. Friends take turns to host these, depending on whose parents are away on that weekend.

The reason for this trend may also be a result of the so called’ Western Dance’ classes which have sprung up nineteen to the dozen, of late, in Tapi town . These classes are efficiently run by amateurs, who love to admire themselves in the mirrors while students prance to their tunes. Known as the ‘dancing sirs’, they promise to turn our Surti ‘lalarinas’into ballerinas. Shops in arcades around town are rented out and converted into dance studios to serve the purpose.

Enthusiastic housewives, teenagers and children throng these and pay atrocious amounts to learn desi freestyle versions of what is presented to them in the name of dance. Tapi Tango, Surti Salsa, Wishful Waltz, Chulbula Cha Cha Cha etc; performed on Indipop music by the flexible eye candy .Surti mommies and aunties who look upon these as a great place to loose weight are getting into the groove here. Shaking a leg to,’ hips don’t lie’ [how apt] in hope that it takes their’ breadth’ away.

Unfortunately, most Surti Hubbies do not share the excitement of performing fancy moves with their now’ bitter ‘halves. Consequently, the ladies either search for a willing female partner or dance by themselves or with their own shadows to enact out these newly learnt skills.Surti men, on the other hand, like to dance in groups.‘Jhoond ma Nacho ‘is their motto. So irrespective of the fact that Bruce Springsteen is crooning, ’Dancing in the dark, ‘or Bryan Adams is soulfully singing,’Everything I do, I do it for you,’ the guys are busy, hopping away in a circle that would remind you of’ ring a ring of roses’ from kindergarten. Talk about male bonding, man!

The all-time favourite step of all Surti men is easily the ‘Kaipo che’ and ‘Lapate’ step that resembles the act of kite-flying and rolling the thread reel. The other popular step is a version of ‘two taali garba ’with an action of boxing and hopscotch added to it. Sometimes, they mime fervently playing a guitar or the drums too! Whether they are dancing at weddings, parties, Navratri or New Year’s Eve, Surti men are sure to shake their booty, in the above mentioned ways.

All in all, it would be rare, to see a Surti who is not raring to go for it unabashedly on the dance floor. As the women jerk hysterically to ‘sexy, naughty, bitchy me’, men jovially jump to,’ another brick in the wall’ and kids perform acrobatics to,’dard-e-disco’, in the name of dance, they do so powered by the great Surti spirit and freedom of expression, ‘aapde toh bhai aavaj chiye’.Thus, the evening culminates into a freestyle of-
‘Salsa, nacho and tang-o’ combo [no reference to food here, mind you.]
So rejoice dearies and celebrate Saturday night’ fervour’without inhibitions and ‘prohibition’ because, D.J. Nights are here to stay as Surtis sway their stress away!