Technology Dance Society
BreakFree : Technology Dance Society, abbreviated as TDS, is the official All-style Dance Crew of IIT Kharagpur. Since it's foundation in the year 2012, where it was recognized as an official part of Technology Students' Gymkhana, IIT Kharagpur, it has grown ahead in multiple dance forms like Locking, Popping, Breaking, House, Dancehall and Whacking. It participates in Street as well as Western Stage dance competitions across India. It also organizes workshops for western dance enthusiasts at IIT Kharagpur. The society exhibits creative contents through Instagram and YouTube from time to time. However, the official announcements are passed on through the Facebook page.
Joining the team
The auditions for TDS are conducted post a dance workshop session conducted inside the campus after the arrival of its new batch of freshers around the first week of august. The auditions are open for all students inside IIT Kharagpur. There is no restriction on dance style, age, course or study period of the student.
Selection Criteria
The participants of the auditions are asked to perform a one-minute piece of dance routine on their choice of song and dance style. They are also allowed to perform on the routine taught to them during the workshop. The dance performance can be original or inspired, but not exactly copied. There is no restriction to any dance forms. There may be a second round consisting of an impromptu performance of approximately 30 seconds. The participants are marked on the following :
- Beat sense
- Choreography
- Energy
- Interest
The auditions are known to be easy and every year, around 20 students are selected as new members of the society.
Timeline of Events
The first showcase of the society inside the campus happens on the Annual Foundation Day on 18th August. The 10 min performance showcases a debut by the society's new choreographers and is performed by all the members along with its new dancers. The next major event is the Inter IIT Cultural Meet, which takes place in the month of December. Followed by Spring Fest, Carpe Diem (IIM Calcutta), Antaragni (IIT Kanpur) and so on. The year is concluded with the Annual Junior Championship where every Junior member showcases what they learned throughout the year in an ultimate dance competition.
Practice Sessions
The members of the society meet almost everyday to jam and prepare for competitions. The main team is divided into 2 different sections - Stage and Street. The practices for both sections are designed on the basis of competition requirement. Every year, a team of 30-40 members participates in Stage events and a team of 8-10 members participates in Street battles.
Workshops
Apart from routine practices, the members of the society participate in workshops conducted in Kolkata by renowned independent dancers and crews. The society also conducts open workshops inside the campus.
List of Governors
2021-22
- Ajith Sree Madhav
- Sameer Gautam
- Shreya Kumari
- Soorsri Thashkant
2020-21
- Monika Choudhary
- Pranali Rahangdale
- Shivam Sengar
- Tausif Mohammad
2019-20
- Ashish Meena
- Mayank Lalwani
- Milan Chauhan
- Shippee Sunda
2018-19
- Dhaval Chauhan
- Monika Tamsoy
- Pranay Kumar Mahapatra
- Sandeep Sharma
2017-18
- Ankit Singh
- Nupur Jain
- Pukhraj Baraskar
- Shubham Annapure
2016-17
- Rajat Gupta
- Rakesh Ravikumar
- Sakshi Garg
- Shraddha Mehta
2015-16
- Nikhil Kothari
- Prachi Gupta
- Rimil Hembrom
- Sagar Kalbande