A Dance festival like never before
A platform where you see diverse range of dance performances that too not just from India but also from different parts of the world, well, it does not happen every day. Well this was witnessed at the Auckland’s first multicultural dance event held Saturday 28 March at Maleola Community Centre in Mangere, Auckland.
The Auckland Malayali Samajam hosted the International Dance Fest 2015 on the commemoration of its 15 years of community service in Auckland. The show was graced by National List MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi along with other eminent personalities from Auckland.
The event had 150 dancers showcasing 16 different forms of dance items from different subcultures of India like the South Indian Fusion, the Gujrati Ras Leela, Punjabi Fusion, Bengali folk dance, Kathak and the Goan dance. There were also Chileno Latino form of dance, the Chinese Umbrella Dance, Ori Tahiti, Fijian Meke, Salsa, Indo Spanish fusion, Belly Dance and the Samoan cultural dance.
All the performances on the stage were met by a thunder of applause but some of those performances were simply outstanding.
Ori Tahiti which is a traditional dance form from the island of Tahiti was an original artistic expression noted in ancient traditions. The performers clad in orange colour tops and bottoms with hay woven head bands and garlands displayed some fantastic dance moves and blew ‘Shankh’ at the end of their performance.
The Fijian Meke was a combination of dance and story-telling through a song, the men displayed strong and virile movements while women showcased their graceful and feminine nature. The men face painted black while women wore floral garlands with their costume.
On the Indian side of dance forms, the Gujrati Ras leela was performed. The performers danced on the songs from the movie Kai Po Che and Lagaan depicting the love story of Lord Krishna and Radha. Garba and Dandiya were also the main features of the Gujrati Ras leela.
When it comes to Indian dance performances, one can never forget the Punjabi dance and the bhangra. The artists wearing green traditional dress tapped their feet to the tunes of bhangra numbers as if it was Lohri or Vaisakhi celebrations.
The Bengali folk dance was an another amazement with the background of Rabindra Sangeet and the medley of classic and folk songs. The Bengalis sported white saris with thick red borders which is a traditional dress for them at times of puja or other celebrations.
The Salsa and Indo Spanish fusion was also one of the most anticipated performances of the evening; the Salsa did raise eyebrows because of its tremendously challenging dance moves. The song from Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara was played for the Indo Spanish performance.
The three hour show ended with a huge cheer from almost 400 people present that evening. The event was a huge success and it was also fund raiser. ‘Bereavement Fund, A solace in difficult times’, a new community initiative of the Auckland Malayali Samajam is dedicated to the bereaved families as a support in their difficult times. The proceeds from the funds raised that evening will be donated to Bereavement Fund for the betterment of the community.
A platform where you see diverse range of dance performances that too not just from India but also from different parts of the world, well, it does not happen every day. Well this was witnessed at the Auckland’s first multicultural dance event held Saturday 28 March at Maleola Community Centre in...
A platform where you see diverse range of dance performances that too not just from India but also from different parts of the world, well, it does not happen every day. Well this was witnessed at the Auckland’s first multicultural dance event held Saturday 28 March at Maleola Community Centre in Mangere, Auckland.
The Auckland Malayali Samajam hosted the International Dance Fest 2015 on the commemoration of its 15 years of community service in Auckland. The show was graced by National List MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi along with other eminent personalities from Auckland.
The event had 150 dancers showcasing 16 different forms of dance items from different subcultures of India like the South Indian Fusion, the Gujrati Ras Leela, Punjabi Fusion, Bengali folk dance, Kathak and the Goan dance. There were also Chileno Latino form of dance, the Chinese Umbrella Dance, Ori Tahiti, Fijian Meke, Salsa, Indo Spanish fusion, Belly Dance and the Samoan cultural dance.
All the performances on the stage were met by a thunder of applause but some of those performances were simply outstanding.
Ori Tahiti which is a traditional dance form from the island of Tahiti was an original artistic expression noted in ancient traditions. The performers clad in orange colour tops and bottoms with hay woven head bands and garlands displayed some fantastic dance moves and blew ‘Shankh’ at the end of their performance.
The Fijian Meke was a combination of dance and story-telling through a song, the men displayed strong and virile movements while women showcased their graceful and feminine nature. The men face painted black while women wore floral garlands with their costume.
On the Indian side of dance forms, the Gujrati Ras leela was performed. The performers danced on the songs from the movie Kai Po Che and Lagaan depicting the love story of Lord Krishna and Radha. Garba and Dandiya were also the main features of the Gujrati Ras leela.
When it comes to Indian dance performances, one can never forget the Punjabi dance and the bhangra. The artists wearing green traditional dress tapped their feet to the tunes of bhangra numbers as if it was Lohri or Vaisakhi celebrations.
The Bengali folk dance was an another amazement with the background of Rabindra Sangeet and the medley of classic and folk songs. The Bengalis sported white saris with thick red borders which is a traditional dress for them at times of puja or other celebrations.
The Salsa and Indo Spanish fusion was also one of the most anticipated performances of the evening; the Salsa did raise eyebrows because of its tremendously challenging dance moves. The song from Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara was played for the Indo Spanish performance.
The three hour show ended with a huge cheer from almost 400 people present that evening. The event was a huge success and it was also fund raiser. ‘Bereavement Fund, A solace in difficult times’, a new community initiative of the Auckland Malayali Samajam is dedicated to the bereaved families as a support in their difficult times. The proceeds from the funds raised that evening will be donated to Bereavement Fund for the betterment of the community.
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