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Varanasi witnesses a 'Mooch Dance'
by Girija Kumar Dubey

     Varanasi: Believe it or not, the people of Varanasi had great fun watching a moustache dance on New Year's eve. It was neither Kathakali nor Kuchipudi or Manipuri, as many may have anticipated. It surprised one and all to witness such a dance in which foot tapping is not given too much importance. This special moustache dance involves the movements of the moustache in tune with the beat of the drums. For Varanasi's Rajan Kumar Tiwari, making candles dance on his moustache remains for him an amazing art, an art that he has mastered over the years. Claiming his dance form to be at par with the classical dances of Kuchipudi, Kathak and Manipuri, Kumar laments the lack of recognition for his unique ability. "This is a kind of dance called "Mooch Naach" (or, moustache dance). In a sense, this is similar to the classical Kuchipudi, Kathak and Manipuri dances. The concept is based on the same lines as other classical dances," claims Tiwari. "The government does nothing to preserve and develop such distinctive latent dance forms. It is only through the media that I have been able to reach out to the people so far, " he added. But for the audience, Tiwari's Mooch Dance was something not many would forget easily.
-Jan 1,  2007

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