A Dancer's Passion

Dancer Shompreeti
Talks to
Fauzia Sultana

Courtesy: Shompreeti

I completed my SSC and HSC from Viqarunnisa Noon School and College. At school I was notorious for being a naughty kid. Sticking chewing gums on chairs, bunking classes were a few of the mischievous things to name. We used to have assembly every morning and the administrators made sure that every student was on the field. However since I was the master of bright ideas, one day I had this bright idea of watching the assembly from the roof top. So I climbed up the boundary wall and watched the assembly from the roof top. But unfortunately, one of our teachers found me and as punishment, the next day I had to stand on the assembly ground, holding my ears in front of the entire school.

I started going to dance classes when I was only two and half years old. I learnt Bharata Nattyam from Belayet Hossain, while I specialised in Katthak under the guidance of Shibly Mohammad. I received a national award for Kathak from Jatiyo Shikkhashopta when I was in school.

Besides my classes in the Department of Elelctronics and Telecommunication Engineering at North South University (NSU), I was an active member of North South Univeristy Shanskritik Shongothon (NSUSS). There, I was involved with the dance groups. It was at NSUSS, that I got the chance to experiment with different genres of dance with the dance groups. While I tried fusing three classical dance types with one group, I tried blindfold with another. I am also involved with Lux Channeli Superstar, where I choreograph and groom the top twenty five contestants at the competition.

My debut in the glamour world was unplanned, to be precise. While I was studying in NSU, a team from the advertising agency of renowned director Amitabh Reza came in search of a new face for their upcoming project. They happened to come across me and that is how my modeling career began. However, the advertisement that got me recognition as a model was that of Parachute hair oil. Since then I did not have to look back. Besides dancing and modeling, I am, at present, acting in two TV serials that will be aired later this year.

Right now I have too many things on my plate--dancing, choreography, modeling, acting and hosting. But when I envision my future, I see myself as a successful choreographer. In our country, people are not ready to embrace anything new or incorporate new with the old. But I want to add something new to the field of dance; maybe fuse Kathak and contemporary or choreograph thematic pieces. Before it was all about performance; but now it is about themes and concepts. I have a music school in progress, which will be more like a social club. Experts from other schools will also be invited to hold workshops and train the students. And as far as modeling is concerned, I will continue doing it, simply because I enjoy it!