‘Dangerous’ delights in DHA

Each night, between 10pm and 1am, Imran Dancer entertains traffic with a variety of dances.

LAHORE: At a traffic signal near the H Block market in the Defence Housing Authority, a slim young man in a black shirt and embroidered jeans stands on the sidewalk facing oncoming traffic.

As the lights turn red and commuters and pedestrians look over at him, he breaks into a lithe moonwalk, arms flailing and legs gliding along the ground. Child beggars grin in delight and drivers look on amused, some lowering their windows to hand over small sums of money.

Imran Dancer, as he is popularly known, is a regular fixture here at night and the most famous street entertainer in this part of Lahore. He joined this correspondent in a car ride one evening to tell his life story.

Imran, 19, has been making a living as a dancer and dance instructor for three years. He has danced at weddings and competitions and taught several theatre actresses to dance.

“I visit the inner city to train girls every four days. Sometimes I don’t charge them because most are very poor,” he says, making a sad face.

“There have been a few offers to train women in the red light district in the old city as well as in Defence. But I have a reputation to uphold,” he says, running his fingers through his hair and peering at his reflection in the car mirror. “This pays much better. I make Rs400 to Rs500 a night,” he adds.

So each night, between 10pm and 1am, he entertains traffic with a variety of dances. Dance moves made famous by Michael Jackson are the most popular.

“Sometimes people turn up the volume in their cars and demand that I dance. If I’m asked to perform to Dangerous, or some Hrithik Roshan song, it really gets me going.”

He recalled participating in a dance competition following Jackson’s death last year. “We all dressed in black and white suits and worked on perfecting the routine from the Dangerous video late into the night. The video is unbelievably well-crafted,” he said.

His earnings are a source of pride. The youngest of six children, he boasts of making more money than his rickshaw-driver brother, who he lives with in a slum off Ghazi Road. Also with them is his father, who sells ready-made garments on the streets of Nishat Colony and Ichhra. He has four older sisters, all married.

“I admit I sometimes waste my time and money betting on billiards or car races,” he says. “But I also have a sense of responsibility to earn as much as I can for my friends and family.”

Imran has tried his hand at other things too. He trained to become a tailor and worked two years at the Lucky Irani Circus, where he mastered the tight rope. But dancing was always his real passion.

And his skills have given Imran the chance to meet some of the country’s most famous musicians. His favourite encounters were with Ali Zafar and Atif Aslam.

“Ali Zafar invited me to his house here. His brother Danyal is a friend,” he says.

“Atif took me for ice cream once to Hot Spot. He really liked my Michael Jackson dancing. I also showed him a bit of disco but classical dance was not to his taste,” he says.

The car stops at a traffic light and a group of street children selling stickers and bandages surround the car. “They have seen me perform. They are just excited to see me in a car I guess,” he says, opening the door to shoo away the kids.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2010.