Garba Goes Mainstream: Traditional Dance Now a Part of School Curriculum in Mumbai

June 2025 marks a historic moment for folk art in education as five Mumbai schools officially integrate Garba into their weekly timetables. Here’s how this cultural move is blending fun, fitness, and academic benefits.

Dancing to a New Beat in the Classroom

In an unprecedented educational move, Garba—a vibrant and traditional dance from Gujarat—has been formally introduced as a subject in five schools across Mumbai. Starting June 20, 2025, students from Class 5 to 10 will dedicate one period a week to learning this centuries-old dance form. This initiative has been rolled out by three Amulakh Amichand schools (under the Gujarati Kelvani Mandal) located in Matunga, and two schools from the Ramji Ashar Group in Ghatkopar, covering IG, ICSE, SSC, and Gujarati-medium boards.

But this isn’t just about dancing in circles. The five-year Garba training programme, designed in partnership with the Nalanda Institute, is officially recognised and comes with an academic perk—a 3% bonus in SSC board exam scores for students who complete the full course.

Recognised Training, Tangible Benefits

The programme will be conducted by the Soni School of Garba Dance (SSGD), led by Garba exponents Jigar and Suhrad Soni, in association with Nalanda Institute—a government-recognised institute affiliated with Mumbai University.

As per the terms of recognition:

• Students training consistently for five years will receive 3% bonus marks in their SSC exams.
• For non-SSC board students, the Garba certification will qualify under the cultural quota—a valuable addition for college admissions, including applications to international universities.
   

Each year of the curriculum introduces new nuances, steps, and techniques in Garba, gradually building a student’s mastery of the form.

“This isn’t just an extracurricular activity anymore,” said Jigar Soni, co-founder of SSGD. “It’s a proper subject with depth, pedagogy, and long-term recognition.”

A Mission to Restore Authenticity

The Soni brothers are on a cultural mission to revive and preserve authentic Garba, which they feel has been diluted over time into a fusion of dance styles. "What we often see today is a trend-based version of Garba that strays from its roots. Our goal is to catch them young and inculcate a deeper, more traditional understanding of the dance,” Jigar noted.

Convincing schools to add a classical art form to the main curriculum wasn’t easy. But the rewards—academic, cultural, and physical—made the case strong. The introduction of Garba into regular timetables means that students can now access expert training within school hours, eliminating the need for after-school dance classes.

When Dance Adds to Your Marks

In 2025, approximately 2.5 lakh students—about 16% of the total 14.87 lakh SSC examinees—received bonus marks for their participation in co-curricular and extracurricular activities. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) offers additional credits to students excelling in non-academic fields such as:

• Drawing
• Folk and Classical Dance
• Music (Vocal and Instrumental)
• Drama
• NCC
• Scouts and Guides
• Sports
   

Depending on a student’s performance, they are graded into categories A, B, and C, earning 7, 5, or 3 bonus marks, respectively.

Here’s how bonus marks are distributed in the performing arts:

Among all fields, sports topped the charts with 35,417 participants, followed by folk arts at 29,032 students. Drama and NCC saw the least participation, with just 15 and 17 students, respectively, earning bonus marks through them.

Mixed Reactions from the Public

The initiative, while largely applauded, hasn’t been free of criticism. A principal from a Vidyavihar school questioned the exclusive focus on Garba, suggesting that the curriculum could be expanded to include a variety of regional dance forms.

“A five-year programme on only Garba may limit students’ exposure to India’s vast cultural heritage,” the principal noted.

Local political voices echoed similar sentiments. MNS leader Arvind Gite pointed out that since these schools operate in Maharashtra, equal importance should be given to Maharashtrian dance forms, which are rich in history and cultural value.

However, Devendra Leeladhar Shah, trustee of Gujarati Kelvani Mandal, defended the decision, stating that the programme gives students a chance to learn within the school ecosystem itself. “Now, students don’t need to go outside to learn Garba. They can do it in school, in a structured manner,” he said.

Culture, Curriculum & Credit – A New Era

The integration of Garba into the school curriculum signifies a progressive step towards holistic education—one that values cultural arts as much as academics. It aligns with the evolving understanding that education must also nurture emotional, social, and cultural intelligence.