Dr. Terence Lewis is an Indian dancer and choreographer. He has been on the panel of judges in many dance reality shows and choreographed Bollywood films. He is credited with developing the indo-contemporary dance form. He has appeared on the Guinness Book of World Records multiple times, for example, in 2012, when he broke his record for the largest Bollywood dance.
Wiki/Biography
Terence Lewis was born on 10 April 1975 (49 years old; as of 2024) in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. His zodiac sign is Aries.
Terence Lewis as an infant
Terence Lewis completed his schooling at St. Teresa’s Boys High School, Mumbai. He did his senior secondary in Microbiology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. During his school days, he used to do theatre.
Terence Lewis during his youth
He pursued a degree in Hotel Management from the Institute of Hotel Management, Dadar, Mumbai. Lewis is a graduate of Psychology & Sociology from the University of Mumbai. He also did a Fitness Certification Course from Progressive Fitness USA’s branch in Mumbai. He attended The Ailey School under the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York where he trained in jazz, ballet, and contemporary dance. He also attended the The Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, in New York.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 10″
Weight (approx.): 75 kg
Hair Colour: Dark brown
Eye Colour: Dark brown
Body Measurements (approx.): Chest: 42″; Biceps: 14″; Waist: 30″
Religion/Religious Views
Terence stated that he isn’t a religious person.
Family
Terence was born into a middle-class Mangalorean Catholic family.
Parents & Siblings
His father’s name is Xavier Lewis. He worked at Modistone Limited. His mother, Teresa Lewis, was a seamstress who worked from home. He is the youngest of seven siblings, he has four sisters and three brothers.
Terence Lewis (second from left) with his seven siblings
Terence Lewis (middle, top) during his childhood with his parents
Relationships/Affairs
In 2014, Terence Lewis revealed he used to be in a live-in relationship for 10 years. In 2015, he revealed that he was dating Sayantani Ghosh, but they had broken up. He stated that he didn’t have any intention of getting married to her. He said,
I was only dating Sayantani, I was not serious about getting married to her! I don’t think I will marry ever, as I am already married to my work. I told her in advance that ‘See, let’s meet each other and know each other well’. Sayantani always knew I wasn’t interested in marrying her…Before Sayantani, I was in a serious live-in relationship with someone for 10 long years. It was a beautiful relationshio but I was too obsessedwith my career to give her the time that she demanded from me. It was then that I realised that I will not marry.”
Sayantani Ghosh, who used to be in a relationship with Terence Lewis
Career
Choreographer
Terence Lewis started teaching dance at the age of 14 to fund his education. He is a self-taught artist who participated in his first dance competition at the age of six. He then moved towards a fitness career when he taught aerobics (1998 to 2002). His first client was Madhuri Dixit. He has also trained Amisha Patel, Bipasha Basu, Gauri Khan, the Ambanis, Sussanne Roshan, etc. During this time, he also did modelling.
Terence modelling during his younger days
After graduating with a degree in Hotel Management, he received many job offers but chose to continue as a dance teacher. He went on to choreograph numerous music videos, stage shows, advertisements, national & international dance competitions, Broadway Westend musicals, and feature films. He started working as a choreographer and choreographed several Bollywood films like “Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India” (2001), “Jhankaar Beats” (2003), and “Naach” (2004). He received an award for choreographing the song “Waltz for a Romance” in the film Lagaan (2001). He was the choreographer of the musicals Children of the Sea and Finding Marina which were screened at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2006. In 2015, Terence choreographed India’s production of the musical, Beauty and The Beast held at The Capital in Mumbai.
Terence Lewis (left) at the premiere of Beauty and The Beast in Mumbai, 2015
He also choreographed Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram Leela (2013). Apart from movies and shows, he has done choreography for events such as the Lux Style Awards (2007).
Reality TV Participant
In 2010, he took part in Colors TV’s reality game show, Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 3. The show took place in Copacabana, Brazil and Terence was eliminated in episode 11. In 2014-15, he participated in a sports reality show named Box Cricket League 1. In 2019, he participated in the show Kitchen Champion 5.
Reality TV Judge
From 2009 to 2012, Terence was a judge on the three seasons of the dance-based reality show, Dance India Dance. From 2012 to 2014, he judged seasons 5 and 6 of Nach Baliye. From 2020 to 2023, he was a judge on the three seasons of India’s Best Dancer, where his contestants came in the top three during all three seasons. In 2022, he appeared as a guest judge on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10.
Terence Lewis with co-judges Malaika Arora (centre) and Geeta Kapur (right), during season 2 of India’s Best Dancer
Acting
In 2004, he appeared on an episode of Touching Evil, where he played a driver. In 2009, he acted in a drama film named Helen. In 2012, he played a mess hall prisoner in the show, Alcatraz. In 2015, he appeared on an episode of the TV show, Falling Skies. Terence always wanted to become an actor before becoming a dancer and choreographer. In 2015, he said,
I am still quite active on the theatre front in Mumbai. For me, acting is very easy and it is something that I love doing. I have done a lot of serious plays.”
Other Work
He also appeared in a popular music video Badan Pe Sitare (a remix of an old song by Harry Anand) for DJ Hot Remix Vol.3 in 2021. In 2022, Terence sang the song Shaidayee with Rahul Jain and appeared in its music video.
Terence Lewis on the poster of his song, Shaidayee
He also appeared in the music video of Aao Naa by Vishal Mishra. In 2023, he was on the jury panel of Femina Miss India.
Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company
Terence Lewis is the founder and artistic director of the Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company and the Terence Lewis Professional Training Institute. He co-founded the academy with Mahrukh Dumasia. He also established the Terence Lewis Dance Scholarship Foundation Trust under the “Terence Lewis brand”. This Terence Lewis Professional Training Institute comes under his brand as well.
Terence Lewis (extreme left, top) with winners of the 2017 scholarship to study at his dance academy
Controversy
Inappropriately Touching Norah Fatehi
A video went viral in 2020, where it appeared that Terence Lewis had touched Nora Fatehi inappropriately on a dance reality show, India’s Best Dancer, where Nora was a guest. In the clip, Terence was seen touching Nora inappropriately. Terence explained that it happened when they were greeting a guest, and it was a misunderstanding. He also alleged that the pictures going around were morphed.
A picture where it appears that Terence Lewis is touching Nora Fatehi inappropriately
He allegedly did not remember if he touched Nora because they were following someone else’s instructions. He also mentioned that Nora had asked him to dance with her before on the show, so it didn’t make sense for him to do something inappropriate when there were cameras around. Terence said people made memes and spread rumours about their relationship, but they’re just good friends. He said,
Why would I want to do something like this, when there are four cameras around? This is too cheap, you can’t do this. I got abused, in my DMs…I’ve already danced with her in close proximity, and when you’re in the middle of it, you are not thinking in that zone. We are so focused, you cannot be in two worlds, and you need a lot of guts to do something like this…”
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- Terence won the American Choreography Award in 2002 for his choreography for the songs in the film “Lagaan” along with Ganesh Hegde, Vaibhavi Merchant, Saroj Khan, and Raju Khan.
- He won the Best Choreographer Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2006.
- In March 2011, Terence Lewis appeared on the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest number of people choreographed in the shortest time frame at the St, Theresa School in Bandra, Mumbai after beating the Chinese National record.
Terence Lewis in 2011, after setting the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest number of people choreographed in the shortest time frame
- In 2011, he made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest Bollywood dance with 1,336 members. In March 2012, he broke his record with a dance group of 4,428 people.
- In 2017, Herald Global presented him with an award for his work in dance education.
Terence Lewis and Divyanka Tripathi posing with their awards from Herald Global
- Terence received an honourary Doctor in the Performing Arts (Dance) from the National American University in alliance with the National Institutes of Education and Research, Asia in 2019.
Terence Lewis posing with his Doctor in the Performing Arts (Dance)
- In 2023, he received the Most Stylish Choreographer Award at the Lokmat Most Stylish Awards.
Terence Lewis posing with his Most Stylish Choreographer award
- He is the first Indian to receive a full-ride scholarship to attend ImPulsTanz, Vienna and is a regular teacher at Impulstanz.
- He is also the first Indian to be a part of UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) International Dance Council (CID- Conseil International de la Danse).
Car Collection
Terence bought his first car, a golden Maruti Suzuki Zen hatchback when he was 23 years old. He also owns a Land Rover Defender SUV and a Hyundai Creta which he prefers to get through the traffic in Mumbai.
Terence Lewis posing with his Land Rover Defender
Favourites
- Indian Restaurants: Caravan Serai, Vrindavan, Tanjore
- Beverages: Lassi, nimbu pani, coconut water
- Recipe: Mangalorean fish curry
- Dancers: Govinda, Madhuri Dixit
Facts/Trivia
- As of April 2024, Terence has 2.8 million followers on Instagram, 4.9 million on Facebook, 95.2K on Twitter, and 77.3K subscribers on YouTube.
- Terence’s hobbies include dancing, travelling, and acting.
- When he was a child, he and his family lived in a chawl in Mumbai.
- He has a pet dog named Bruno Lewis.
Terence Lewis with his dog, Bruno
- He once revealed that he used to smoke one pack of cigarettes a day, but slowly started quitting. Speaking of this habit, he said
As a youth, I tried smoking as an experiment but detested the taste. I began smoking and drinking socially at the age of 35, after establishing myself financially…In an introspective moment at the beginning of 2023, I realised that while earlier I would just borrow an occasional cigarette, now I was buying packs for myself. I told myself I had to quit before it got out of hand!…This February (2023), I quit both alcohol and smoking for 21 days and then stretched it to three months. Now, I may light up a one-off, but smoking is definitely not going to be a regular part of my life ever again.”
- Terence eats non-vegetarian food. He also drinks alcohol.
Terence Lewis enjoying a glass of wine with his dinner
- Terence was given the nickname “Gyaan Baba” by Bosco Martin, his co-judge on the show So You Think You Can Dance.
- Terence is a fitness enthusiast. Talking about his fitness routine in 2022, he said,
One hour stretch and meditation in the morning. Gymming for an hour five times a week, a brisk walk for 20 minutes and working on one body part per day for 40 minutes…I dance for an hour, three times a week.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tEdfNGgUwI
- When his father told him that he would only pay for Terence’s education until the age of 15, Terence started going to people’s homes to conduct tuition classes.
- Terence is an avid reader. He said that he loves reading and keeps a book beside his bed, in his car, toilet, and computer bag.
- Poha is Terence’s least favourite dish.
- In 2020, a French director, Pierre X, made a documentary on Terence’s life, named “Terence Lewis, Indian Man”.
A poster for the Terence Lewis, Indian Man biography
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education