Tenzin Migmar has recently opened a new dance and fitness studio, Upside Down, in McLeod Ganj. This is an exciting venture for this talented young man and an innovative development for Dharamshala.
Migmar’s parents migrated from Tibet to Sikkim in 1959 and settled in Kunpheling Tibetan Settlement, where Migmar was born in 1992, the youngest of three children. The family moved around regularly when he was young and Migmar initially went to an English school, then a Tibetan school – Central School for Tibetans – in Darjeeling. He was a bright student and excelled at maths and science but he was always interested in dance, representing his schools in competitions from an early age. His talents earned him the nickname “Chicken Leg” in his family!
Dancing was in Migmar’s blood as his father was involved in Tibetan festivals in the army and his mother participated in dance performances in the settlement festivities. His parents were devotees of traditional Tibetan culture but it was his older brother and sister that awakened his interest in western-style dance:Ngawang Younten and Lhamo Choden took him along to parties with their friends and taught him the steps of the latest dance craze.
Now living in Namchi in South Sikkim, Migmar made friends with other teenagers interested in hip-hop and breaking and they formed a dance group BRSTP – the name simply being made up of their initials. BRSTP was an immediate success – their popularity at school leading to invitations to perform elsewhere, a following on social media and entry to a competition in Gangtok. Migmar’s break-dancing skills earned him the new nickname of “Goting Lokyo” (Upside Down). His devotion to his art proved to be somewhat at the expense of his academic studies so his older brother encouraged him to move to Bangalore, where Migmar embarked on a BCA (Bachelor in Computer Application) course – whilst also pursuing his passion for dance. This led to the next significant stage in his development. Encouraged and supported by his sister-in-law Dechen Khando who he describes as “inspirational”, Migmar started break-dancing in public parks in Bangalore – where there were informal competitive “battles” between young dancers. Migmar was the only Tibetan amongst Indians but his talent impressed and he joined a team called the Dark Illusion Crew. The Crew worked hard, practised their moves and refined their routines: entering local “battles” and winning most.
Migmar’s skills flourished dancing with Dark Illusion Crew in Bangalore, working in Glance Dance Studio and re-uniting with BRSTP – now re-titled Brotherhood, Respect, Sacrifice, Talent, Perseverance – when back in Sikkim. Having to earn a living – firstly in a call centre and then in graphic and web design – Migmar’s dancing had to take a back seat for a while. Then he got his next big break: entry into Tibetans Got Talent, the hugely popular talent contest enjoyed by audiences in live performance and online across the country. Migmar won his local audition and progressed through the later rounds to the final in Bylakuppe in Karnataka, where he was joint winner of the title. This has resulted in invitations to perform in shows in Sikkim, Ladakh, Bhutan, Delhi and elsewhere.
Migmar joined his sister in Dharamshala and began working at Lha as a computer instructor – rapidly becoming attached to Lha, fond of McLeod Ganj and realising how much he enjoyed sharing his technical knowledge helping others to develop their skills. He decided he would like to share his artistic skills so when an opportunity arose through a CTA plan encouraging new entrepreneurs, Migmar saw the chance to open his own dance studio.
And so “Upside Down” studio on Jogiwara Road, was born. Offering classes in B-Boyng (break dance), All-Style modern dance, Zumba and Kids sessions, Migmar and his fellow teachers aim to encourage Tibetans, local people and tourists to come to learn and enjoy dance, have fun and get fit!
And Migmar’s long-term ambition? To become a dance star on Indian television – acting as a role model inspiring other Tibetans, showcasing modern, ground-breaking performance skills.
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