Shivanshu Soni is an Indian dancer and choreographer. He is famous for his fusion of classical and contemporary dance forms. He has been a part of various Indian reality dance shows.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Shivanshu Soni, also known as The Fusionist, was born on Saturday, 23 June 2001 (age 22 years; as of 2023) in the village Umri of Satna district, Madhya Pradesh. His zodiac sign is Cancer. Shivanshu was five years old when he first performed on stage at his school. He loved it and joined a Kathak dance class in Satna. He completed his school education at St. Michael’s Higher Secondary School in Satna, MP. [1]Facebook – Shivanshu Soni He then pursued a bachelor’s degree at the Jai Hind College, Mumbai. [2]Instagram – Shivanshu Soni In 2019, he completed a diploma in dance at Roots of Dancing Academy, Vadodara. [3]Facebook – UIDC
Shivanshu Soni with his father in his childhood
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 8″
Weight (approx.):60 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
His father’s name is Ram Shiromani Soni and his mother’s is Neeta Soni. Neeta Soni is a politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Shivanshu Soni’s parents
Shivanshu has four siblings, two brothers, Nikhil Soni, and Akhil Soni, and two sisters, Ankita Soni, and Nikki Soni. Shivanshu is the youngest of all.
Shivanshu Soni (second from the right) with his parents and siblings, (right to left) Akhil, Nikhil, Nikki, and Ankita
Wife
Shivanshu is not married yet.
Relationships/Affairs
There is not much information about Shivanshu’s girlfriend.
Religion
He is a follower of Hinduism.
Shivanshu Soni with his parents after visiting a temple
Signature
Career
Shivanshu started his training in classical dance at the age of 5, however; there was a lack of dance academies and teachers to teach other contemporary forms of dance, so Shivanshu started attending dance workshops in cities like Bombay and Vadodara. These dance workshops proved to be very beneficial for him as he could learn various dance forms in a short span of time. He then started practising his own dance style which involved a blend of Kathak and waving, popping, cutting, and animation.
Shivanshu Soni during a dance workshop at Roots of Dancing in Vadodara
Dance Competitions
By 2016, Shivanshu started participating in big-level dance competitions. He got a major breakthrough when he won the Dance Vindhya Dance competition in 2016.
Shivanshu Soni receiving the trophy after winning the Dance Vindhya Dance Competition 2016
In 2018, he won the Evolution 2 National Dance Competition held in Goa with an impressive dance performance and became the runner-up in the same competition in 2019.
Shivanshu Soni won the runner-up trophy in Evolution 2 National Dance Competiton
In April 2020, when the lockdown was imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he participated in a dance contest named Stay Home Solo Dance Competition in which the contestants had to participate
Shivanshu Soni was declared the winner of the Stay Home Solo Dance competition
In 2021, he participated in the American reality dance competition TV series World of Dance Championship. Although he was placed second in the qualifier round, he did not advance to the next round. In May 2022, he participated in the Entertainer No.1 competition organized by Flipkart, where he emerged as one of the top 25 contestants out of 25000 participants. In the final round, he achieved an impressive position among the top 3 contestants.
Shivanshu Soni voting poster for the Entertainer No. 1 contest of Flipkart
Reality Dance Shows
Jam Ke Naach
Shivanshu successfully auditioned for Gujarat’s reality dance show ‘Jam Ke Naach’ in January 2018 and was chosen as one of the Top 10 finalists. The show was judged by the popular Indian choreographer Terence Lewis and other celebrities. While Shivanshu did not advance to the final round, he achieved a place in the Top 3 and won a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh.
A local newspaper of MP covered the news of Shivanshu Soni’s achievement
One Chance To Dance
In 2019, Shivanshu auditioned for the reality dance show One Chance To Dance. Terence Lewis, a famous Indian choreographer, during the finale of One Chance to Dance season 1 lauded Shivanshu and said that he never loses. Be it Kathak, a classical dance form, or contemporary such as cutting, waving, and popping, he maintains the true essence of both the dance forms. This unique quality is what makes him the best fusionist. [4]Facebook – One Chance To Dance He reached the final round of the show but, he couldn’t win it.
Shivanshu Soni performing on the finale of One Chance to Dance
Dance+6
Shivanshu participated in the auditions for the reality dance show Dance+ 6 in 2021. He impressed the judge, Remo D’Souza, with his performance, and was placed directly into the Top 12 contestants of the show, becoming the first contestant to qualify directly for the Top 12. However, he was eliminated from the competition before reaching the Top 6.
Shivanshu Soni got the Green trophy of Dance+6 after getting selected into the Top 12 of the show
India’s Best Dancer
Shivanshu participated in the auditions for the popular reality dance show ‘India’s Best Dancer Season 3’ which aired on SonyLIV in the year 2023. His unique blend of popping, animation, cutting, and waving with Kathak left a lasting impression on all the judges, which included renowned personalities like Sonali Bendre and Terence Lewis. Judge Geeta Kapur was particularly impressed with his performance and went on to protect him from any evil eye by placing a black dot behind his ear. She even compared his skills with the legendary classical dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj. [5]Instagram – Shivanshu Soni
Geeta Kapur putting a black dot behind the ear of Shivanshu Soni
The Norwegian dance group, Quick Style, was the first international dance group to appear in any Indian reality dance show. They praised Shivanshu for his unique blend of classical and contemporary dance forms. After several rounds, Shivanshu made his place in the Top 5 contestants of the show including Samarpan Lama and Anjali Mamgai.
Shivanshu Soni with The Quick Style dance group
On 30 September 2023, Shivanshu placed second runner-up in the show
Shivanshu Soni with Govinda
Upon arriving in Satna after the show, he received a warm welcome and was honoured with a trophy to which he said,
They awarded me this trophy because I’m the Winner for them. What else can I ask for ! I’ve officially WON now!”
Shivanshu Soni honoured by the people of MP in October 2023
Choreographer
Shivanshu conducts dance workshops in different cities in which he teaches the classical and contemporary fusion skills of dance. He often collaborates with other dancers for his social media reels. One such collab incident was shared by Terence Lewis, who was the judge of the show India’s Best Dancer, shared an incident on the show when he collaborated with Shivanshu for an Instagram reel,
A while back, I discovered him on Instagram and texted him, saying, I want to learn dance from you because I’ve never trained in Indian Classical dance but was always fascinated by it. After that, we collaborated to create a few Instagram reels. I must also mention what a performer he is. I can’t wait to see every one of your acts this season.”
Shivanshu Soni’s dance workshop ad
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- Winner at the Evolution 2 National Dance Competition Goa 2018
Shivanshu Soni won the Evolution 2 National Dance Competition
- Runner-up in Evolution National Dance Competition Goa 2019
- Honoured by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan in January 2023
Shivanshu Soni (extreme right) awarded by CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Satna Gaurav Divas
- Honoured by the people of Satna for being the second-runner-up of India’s Best Dancer 2023
Favourites
- Choreographer(s): Prabhu Deva, Remo D’Souza, Shantanu Maheshwari
Shivanshu Soni with Remo D’Souza
- Actor(s): Ayushmann Khurrana, Mithun Chakraborty
Shivanshu Soni with Ayushmann Khurrana
- Singer(s): Hariharan, A.R. Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal, Hardy Sandhu
Shivanshu Soni with Hardy Sandhu
Facts/Trivia
- He also goes by the name Shiv.
- People around him including his relatives didn’t like him learning Kathak as a boy because they thought that classical dance was only for girls. Despite this, his family always supported him, providing financial and emotional support, which helped him pursue his dream. [6]India Today
- In March 2018, he attended the dance workshop of Eric John Campros, an American choreographer, who was impressed with the performance of Shivnashu. He offered him a scholarship to learn the dance free of cost at his dance academy, Broadway Dance Centre New York.
Shivanshu Soni with Eric Campros during the dance workshop
- After his return from India’s Best Dancer, Shivanshu was invited to speak at the India Today Conclave, Mumbai in October 2023, where he showcased his unique fusion style of dance and shared his journey as a dancer. He shared the stories from his past when he was made fun of, but was now admired for.
Poster of the invitation to India Today Conclave where Shivanshi Soni was one of the speakers
- A couple that was a big fan of Shivanshu and were so impressed by his dance that they named their newborn baby after him.
A fan of Shivanshu Soni who named his son after him
- Shivanshu enjoys travelling and sketching. He frequently posts his drawings and photos of his travels to different places on his social media.
A sketch of Cheetah drawn by Shivanshu Soni
- Shivanshu Soni has a YouTube channel where he posts his vlogs and dance performances to stay connected with his followers. [7]YouTube – Shivanshu Soni
- Shivanshu endorses several brands on his social media platforms, including the PokerBaazi app. [8]Instagram – Shivanshu Soni
