Auckland is all set to witness a multicultural dance extravaganza as the Nepalese
Cultural Centre New Zealand Inc (NCCNZ) hosts its sixth multi-ethnic dance festival.
The free event, which will take place on 24 September, at Victory Convention Centre, will
witness dances from 48 ethnic groups from 29 countries. Participants will perform unique
cultural dances and share glimpses of their culture. This year’s lineup includes
participants from countries in the Middle East, Africa, Pacific, Asia and Europe
showcasing their talent.
Kamal Prasad Shrestha, President, NCCNZ, said, “Our organisation was established
in 2008 to provide and promote Nepalese culture to the wider community. During
the past 14 years, we have organised many events that have helped Kiwis learn
about the Nepalese culture and provided opportunities to all ethnic groups to promote
their culture.
“We also aim to help communities in NZ understand each other’s culture and
traditions. And that’s the inspiration behind having an annual multi-ethnic dance
festival, which began in 2016. The event aims to demonstrate the multicultural
atmosphere of NZ.”
Asked what is unique about this year's event, Shrestha said, "The speciality of the
event is many more ethnic communities are participating to showcase their culture. We
will see participation from Indonesia, Bulgaria and Japan for the first time. We are
making all the effort to make them more effective by including glimpse films for all
countries of origin and synopsis of the songs.”
Shrestha further revealed that "Unity in diversity" is the festival's theme, and the past
five festivals have seen participation from 56 ethnic groups from 39 countries of origin.
“New Zealand is the most ethnically diverse country in the world. It is therefore
important to maintain its ethnic diversities and such festivals are very important,”
points out Shrestha.
The fifth multi-ethnic dance festival was organised on November 28, 2020.
There will also be many food stalls in the venue selling a variety of cuisine.
On a parting note, Shrestha said, "The simple idea of getting every ethnic community
on a common platform has grown leaps and bounds, and I hope the support we get
continues.”
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What: 6th multi-ethnic dance festival
Where: Victory Convention Centre, 98 Beaumont Street, Freemans Bay East, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010
When: September 24, 2022
Entry fee: Free event with more than 300 free car parks available