From a reluctant engineering student to one of India's most loved viral choreographers, Noel Alexander's rise has been nothing short of cinematic.
There are good dancers. And there are skilled choreographers.
But, once in a rare while, you encounter someone who is both. And maybe something more.
At Kottayam-born Noel Alexander's high-voltage Kaantha (a version of the Malayalam folk song) workshop held in Thane, this rare magic was on full display.
When I entered the room, I saw an eager batch of 160 excited participants.
Kids. Girls. Boys. Married couples. Moms.
Most of them were non-dancers.
Many didn't know Malayalam.
Some had never attempted a classical or folk dance in their lives.
But none of that mattered.
Two hours into the workshop that commenced at 7.30 pm, Noel stood at the centre of the packed hall, calling out clear instructions, repeating every step, his eye catching every graceful move and every misstep with the same enthusiasm.
His energy never dipped, his smile never faded.
If a participant didn't get it after two hours of practice, he was glad to demonstrate it all over again.
"Kaunsa leg aage?" he would ask.
"Right" the crowd would respond. Loud and clear.
And when the music started, Noel would look at his students, correcting their postures, lifting their spirits, making them believe that anyone with the will can dance.
By the end of three intense hours, every participant got the opportunity to perform the routine with a partner.
Not one person left early. Not one complained. Most importantly, no one, including the kids gave up.
Some of them had even come dressed for the occasion, hoping to earn a coveted moment -- a reel with Noel.
Watch: Noel Alexander performs Kaantha
It all began with a simple dance routine Noel performed in Bengaluru a few weeks ago. The video went viral and he started getting enquiries for workshops.
In less than a month, Noel has already done 20 odd workshops in Mumbai, Kochi and Bengaluru and intends to cover more cities in the forthcoming weeks.
On November 15, Mahindra & Mahindra Chairmamn Anand Mahindra shared a video of Noel performing Kaantha with eight-year-old dancer and social media influencer Barkhat Arora. Quoting William A Ward to describe Noel's ability as a teacher, Mahindra wrote:
'The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains.
'The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.'
Mahindra added his own praise -- admiring Noel not just as a choreographer but as a teacher who wants his students to perform to the best of their ability. The post exploded across social media with thousands of shares.
What started as a small act of creativity is now a cultural movement to introduce people to Kerala and its beauty.
A journey that began with a 'no'
Noel laughs now when he recalls how his parents, especially his father, wanted him to be an IPS or IAS officer.
Though he grew up in Ahmedabad and participated in numerous dance events, dance was a passion but never a career option. His father had offered him the classic Malayali career menu to choose from: UPSC or engineering. So Noel promised he'd "prepare for UPSC later".
But Life had other plans.
His college dance group started winning competitions.
Soon they were selected for India's Got Talent in 2018.
The following year, they were finalists in Dance Plus 5. This finally convinced his parents that dance wasn't a hobby any more, it was his destiny.
When Noel moved to Mumbai, he assisted some of the biggest names and choregraphed for some of the biggest shows -- Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Bigg Boss, Super Dancer, India's Best Dancer -- learning and perfecting his craft on the job.
But, by 2023, Noel was in debt. "I realised the reality industry wasn't paying enough," he says.
Concerned, his parents urged him to quit dancing, move to Canada for his masters in engineering and start over.
"To pay off my debt before I left for Canada, I started doing dance workshops.
"I started with Afreen, which trended.
"Then I made Khalasi.
"My other choreographies started going viral as well.
"I also reached out to a lot of people. People started loving me. And now, we are here, doing Kaantha."
Kaantha: The song that became a sensation
"Two years ago, I'd done Khalasi, which is a Gujarati song. Then I did Inkem Inkem, a Telugu song, and Chaudhary which is a Rajasthani song. People would tell me to do a south Indian song."
Noel's initial choice wasn't Kaantha.
"I first thought of Malare (from Premam), because that is the only Malayalam song I could sing properly. Then I went and tapped into Thaikkudam Bridge and their Fish rock anthem.
"I listened to a lot of old but trending songs. I randomly heard Kaantha as well. It just took 15 seconds of listening to know that this had the moment.
"When the song plays, you can see Kerala -- the coconut trees, houseboats. You can see a lot of beauty in that song; that's why I chose it. It's pure and beautiful."
Since he is not trained in classical dance, Noel reached out to his friend, a Bharata Natyam dancer, who helped him with elements infuse three distinct South Indian dance forms -- Bharata Natyam, Mohiniattam and Kaikottikali.
The result? A dance routine that feels like a festival, a celebration of joyful sounds, movement and rhythm.
Even Masala Coffee, the creators of Kaantha, were stunned when 500 people danced together in Kochi at Noel's workshop.
"It felt like a dream," Noel says. "Like stepping into another world."
Don't miss! Young contestants perform Kaantha with Noel
How the back mundu became a cultural symbol
The black and gold mundu Noel wore for the first Kaantha shoot wasn't planned either.
"I wanted to wear black and a mundu," he says.
But soon, dancers across India wearing black mundus to workshops turned coincidence into a trend.
A few days ago, when Noel woke up to dozens of messages telling him Anand Mahindra had shared his video, he couldn't believe it.
"I hope my work reaches more people so I can spread more happiness, more smiles, more of our culture," he says.
In the age of digital content where all it takes is one post, one reel to make you the next big trend, Noel has a message for every Indian artist and art lover: "Don't forget who you are. Don't forget where you come from. We are Indians. Our culture is magnificent. Show it off. Celebrate it. Let the world see how beautifully we dance."
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