<p>Italian dancer Najma combines the techniques of yoga with traditional forms of dancing to create her own style </p>.<p>Najma Asani is anything but predictable. Born and brought up in Italy, this dancer may have trained extensively in several dance forms — oriental ballet, belly-dancing and jazz, to name a few — but she steers clear of the conventional and established norms of dance by injecting a refreshing twist to each and every performance. As a teacher of dance, this has proved to be a boon for her. She combines the techniques of yoga with traditional forms of dancing to create a new mode of instruction, which she calls asani. <br /><br />She was recently in the City to perform, and Metrolife caught up with her to find out more about her passion for dancing and experiences in India. <br /><br />Najma began to dance when she was all of six, and since then, she’s been adding extensively to her repertoire of dance styles. Plenty of workshops, television programmes and an instructional video later, she’s a force to reckon with in the dancing industry.<br /><br />“I started off with classical ballet, and then moved to belly-dancing as well. Other than belly-dancing, I have learnt bharatanatyam and kuchipudi as well,” she says, adding that she’s also mastered the flamboyant moves of Bollywood. “I love Bollywood dances, but unfortunately haven’t danced in a movie yet,” she explains, regretfully.<br /><br />This is her first visit to India, and the Italian admits to being completely enamoured by the colourful culture of this country. “I love India — I love the people, the food, the culture and even the weather!” she laughs, adding, “I’ve been dreaming of making this journey since I was a baby, so it’s great!”<br /><br />Najma has performed and taught all over the world. She’s also dabbled extensively in theatre-dance, choreographing entire operas. <br /><br />She’s also set up a troupe called the ‘Asani Group’, which performs at various events and television programmes. And for the last nine years, she’s also dabbled in the opera, writing and choreographing pieces which include singing, acting and oriental dance forms. </p>.<p>Clearly, dance means a lot more to her than just steps and techniques; rather, it’s a language which she claims she uses to weave stories and spin tales. “Dance is a language, and a dancer has to learn how to tell stories with her movements,” she explains.<br /><br />She also adds that it’s essential to use dance to highlight different aspects of a particular culture. “My teacher, Saraswati, taught me how to dance in the traditional style. I love these dance forms, which are linked to old traditions,” she says. </p>
<p>Italian dancer Najma combines the techniques of yoga with traditional forms of dancing to create her own style </p>.<p>Najma Asani is anything but predictable. Born and brought up in Italy, this dancer may have trained extensively in several dance forms — oriental ballet, belly-dancing and jazz, to name a few — but she steers clear of the conventional and established norms of dance by injecting a refreshing twist to each and every performance. As a teacher of dance, this has proved to be a boon for her. She combines the techniques of yoga with traditional forms of dancing to create a new mode of instruction, which she calls asani. <br /><br />She was recently in the City to perform, and Metrolife caught up with her to find out more about her passion for dancing and experiences in India. <br /><br />Najma began to dance when she was all of six, and since then, she’s been adding extensively to her repertoire of dance styles. Plenty of workshops, television programmes and an instructional video later, she’s a force to reckon with in the dancing industry.<br /><br />“I started off with classical ballet, and then moved to belly-dancing as well. Other than belly-dancing, I have learnt bharatanatyam and kuchipudi as well,” she says, adding that she’s also mastered the flamboyant moves of Bollywood. “I love Bollywood dances, but unfortunately haven’t danced in a movie yet,” she explains, regretfully.<br /><br />This is her first visit to India, and the Italian admits to being completely enamoured by the colourful culture of this country. “I love India — I love the people, the food, the culture and even the weather!” she laughs, adding, “I’ve been dreaming of making this journey since I was a baby, so it’s great!”<br /><br />Najma has performed and taught all over the world. She’s also dabbled extensively in theatre-dance, choreographing entire operas. <br /><br />She’s also set up a troupe called the ‘Asani Group’, which performs at various events and television programmes. And for the last nine years, she’s also dabbled in the opera, writing and choreographing pieces which include singing, acting and oriental dance forms. </p>.<p>Clearly, dance means a lot more to her than just steps and techniques; rather, it’s a language which she claims she uses to weave stories and spin tales. “Dance is a language, and a dancer has to learn how to tell stories with her movements,” she explains.<br /><br />She also adds that it’s essential to use dance to highlight different aspects of a particular culture. “My teacher, Saraswati, taught me how to dance in the traditional style. I love these dance forms, which are linked to old traditions,” she says. </p>
