He was in class eight of St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School when he first watched Michael Jackson’s (M.J.) ‘Thriller’ video. The late pop star’s flashy costume and smooth dance steps had him hooked. And soon, armed with a pile full of M.J. videos, the youngster started practising his moves by watching the pop star dance on screen.Says Charles G.J.: “Michael Jackson was larger than life to me at that age. Seeing his body twist and bend like rubber, it made me want to become a dancer. Also his lyrics were meaningful. His song ‘Human Nature’ is my favourite.”
Charles.G.J performed 302 performances in Kerala. Various dance competitions were the stepping stones for the fan. He is a three-time winner of the Kerala district ‘M.J. look-alike competition’ for his moon walking skills and close to perfect M.J. impersonation.
He also wooed the judges and audience on Surya TV’s dance reality show, ‘Dance Dance’ with his twists and twirls. However, Charles had to put on hold his dream of becoming a professional dancer as “it was not considered a ‘reputable’ profession then.” He started a graphic designing centre called CGJ creations at Pallimukku.
Serials and films too
“I also did serials in the side,” says Charles who has acted in Saji Surendran’s serials ‘Madhavam’ and ‘Ammakkai.’ He also donned the role of a Punjabi in the director’s debut movie, ‘Ivar Vivahitharayal,’ which was recently released. It was while doing the role in the movie and watching the actors dance that Charles felt the need to put on his dancing shoes and return to his first love, dance. “I was brushing up my skills when the news of M.J.’s death arrived. It came as a real shock. I felt a kind of emptiness inside. I had dreamt of showing my dance moves to the pop star one day. In fact I had put up clippings of my stage performances on Youtube hoping he would see it,” says this 26-year-old, who is planning to start a dance school soon. “I will be teaching the students Hip Hop, M.J.’s moves and contemporary dance. The dance school should be up and running next year.”
LIZA GEORGE - HINDU METRO PLUS dated 9TH JULY 2009
P R E S S (click on the image to enlarge)
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