বাংলায় পড়ুন
In the 1970s, the LGBT clubs of Los Angeles were looking at creating something new. Waacking, a new dance form, emerged during the disco era. This dance form originally involved rhythmic movement of arms to the music beats and later other elements of posing and footwork were added. Five decades later, waacking is being embraced quite well in Kolkata, a city that prides in classical dance forms.
Mekhola Bose, who is a strong proponent of waacking in Kolkata, feels that waacking is a celebration of one’s innermost expressions and one’s fabulous self. She added that it’s inspired by silent films, comic books, and old Hollywood glamour. The dance is performed to disco or funk music, and involves footwork, grooves, emotions, storytelling, release of raw energy and passion. Mekhola Bose teaches this dance form every Sunday in Bhowanipore with her group named Calcutta Waackpack.
While waacking is fast catching up in the city, other disco forms such as locking, popping, and b-boying that came to the city much before waacking, continue to be popular among the city youth. Waacking was also called punking in the 70s in the US. But the use of the word “punk” caused it to be named waacking, as during that time the word “punk” was used as a derogatory remark towards the gay community. All in all, Kolkata is keeping the disco culture well and truly alive, and the progress of all forms of disco dance forms continues unhindered in the city.
