Meet Shiva Loco. This dance miester started dancing at the age of 5, in Classical Indian Bharatnatyam. While his  time spent in U.S.A, Canada, South America, & Europe; he won many Amateur & Pro-Am Ballroom Championships from Syllabus Categories to Open to All Championships From 1998 to 2003. He started dancing Salsa in San Juan while doing internship in Puerto Rico in 1997. He won the Mid Western Salsa Championship in 1999. Was a Mainstream International DJ until discovering the love for Latin music. His favorites among Latin Music & Dances are Cha-Cha, Rumba, Reggaeton, Bachata, Salsa, Tango,etc. Currently working as Jewellery / Event / Dance / Graphic Designer in UAE. He currently teaches On1, On2, Body Isolation, Reggaeton, Bachata, Secrets to Lead & Follow, & Lifts & Tricks. People who learned to dance with him will agree that his specialty is to help anyone to lead while dancing. Loves to dance with beginner’s more, since they teach me a new perspective of basics & principles not discovered yet.

We recently had an interview with Kochi’s new Salsa Sensation, Shiva Loco.

1. You seem to be born to dance, how did it all start?
Well, I started learning dance since I was too hyperactive to be kept at home. So my mother decided to put me in Classical Bharatnatyam Classes at the age of 5.  I was not too keen on going to dance classes to begin with, as it was said to be Girls thing. But as the girls in the class were gambling on how long I would survive, I made it a challenge to break their perception. It happened. I stayed in class, excelling among most of them for 5 years.

2. After so many years of dancing where do you get the motivation to keep going?
Dancing keeps me happy, positive, and access to much more intense levels of highness. The motivation for myself to keep going for dancing is that it has helped me faced many impossible deadlines and situations by coming up with insane and crazy solutions.

3. Who are your dancing idols?
Michael Jackson is dancing Idol, but Mohan Lal is dancing inspiration. Michael Jackson in my perception, is theone who has been able to acheive total expression using his body and soul completely to project his positive energy while dancing, singing and  entertaining. Mohan Lal is one individual, despite his body contours is one who is able to move his body freely and able to express in accordance to the rhythm whose waves is clearly perceived by body and processed by his soul.

4. A lot of men must hate you because good dancers always get all the best women, so do you dance to be great competitor or to avoid competition?
In this world, where humans actions sometimes are misinterpreted inconclusively to be impressive against the wrong crowd; a creature like myself can be misunderstood to levels of immense proportions. I love to dance, but when deeply negated sheep find a positively radiating soul moving in ways that they cannot perceive or understood, then according to lots of low self esteem individuals, I tend to be showing off to get their attention. I love competition, but competitions where I am able to excel and attain higher and intense levels of knowledge present in my body, not the superficial idiocies of impressing stray sheep away from their herd. Not a lot of men hate me, but too many in fact, just for the fact that women are comfortable dancing with me and I am able to move them in ways that their men cannot even imagine.I dance to be a great competitor in arena of dancing ONLY. I try to avoid competitions when situations come up for alpha dog prizes, but somehow I find myself in the middle of it walking away with the prize.

5. What brings you to India?
Well, in my travels around the world, I have found that Latinos, Arabs, African, Indians, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, Philippinos are the few people who seems to have natural affinity towards external rhythm. Here in India, people enjoy dancing, but given proper guidance they will be able to attain higher levels of knowledge and understanding. Hence, they will find their foundation of their enjoyment increasing. I am in india to be the instrument of guidance.

6. What style of dance are you going to teach here?
I can teach upto 36 styles of dance movement. But as SALSA starting to become a fashion statement here is Cochin, I will start by teaching Puerto Rican Salsa.

7. Which is your favorite form of dance? Why?
Reggaeton, since it allows me to be naturally high and do the impossible, which is break people’s perception of normal thoughts about dancing. The music and bass in reggaeton moves my soul in ways that transcends anything I have to yet to experience.

8. A lot of us believe dance is a therapy, your thoughts..
Of course, dancing is a therapy in its simplest form. Its one way of expression where many facets of one’s life get portrayed in one move.
Dancing helps in attuning one body, mind, heart and soul. Losing weight by dancing is one of the easiest way when compared to the currently available alternatives. I used to be 189 Kgs myself, I love food ( WHICH MEANS I CANNOT DIET). Hence, I started dancing, and, in six months become 89Kgs without dieting and only dancing around 3 hours per day. If you dance to the fullest of your abilities, you will be able to lose around 280 calories per hour.

9. Do you see potential in Kerala?
Kerala is one soil, where potentials next stop to emanate. There is an immense potential in Kerala, where the people if given the right guidance, can rise to a position where they can touch the stars in the heavens.

10. Your future plans?
The same. Educate the people by making them aware of their actual body limitations, getting them to access to the actual level of having fun and enjoyment through natural means in alternative to smoking, consuming alcohol, and drugs.

Shiva now teaches dance at Kappz studio and also does private classes. You can contact +91-9995536865 for more details on class timings etc..