Shimmying in style

The students of Sanaz Dance Studio recently celebrated ‘World Belly Dance Day’ in their own little way by hosting a competition and a party at their studio on Church Street. 

   
Called Raqs Sharqi, the students along with their friends, had a nice time together. Vidhya, one of the coordinators of the show, says, “We had also organised a Hasala, a party, which was exclusively for ladies. The competition saw many of our own students and also some from other dance institutions as well. The ladies who attended the party were asked to vote for the best performer and the best group.” 

Dressed in bright attire, the girls dazzled the audience with their scintillating and graceful moves. 

Vidhya adds that the ‘World Belly Dance Day’ has been celebrated since 2007, so as to recognise the free-spirited woman. 

“The evening kick-started with the belly dancing community swaying to foot-tapping Arabic rhythms and enthralled the audiences with their shimmies and their mystical belly dancing skills,” she says.

 Four groups participated in the competition and there were other performances as well. Some even moved to peppy Bollywood numbers. Apart from this, there were guest performances by other belly dancing troupes from the City. 

Lina, one of the participants in the competition, says that she enjoyed herself thoroughly. 

“It was the first time that I choreographed an item. I feel that we should have these competitions more often. It was a lot of fun and to top it all, I was one of the winners. Different groups from various areas participated and most of them performed to Arabic numbers, but my group performed a Bollywood number and it set the mood for the evening,” she says. 

“Though it was based on a very unconventional song, the moves were that of a belly dance. It was a very different experience for me,” she adds.

She also informs that many in the audience were inspired to learn this art form after watching the girls perform. 

The competition provided the perfect platform for these budding belly dancing divas to explore, enjoy, entertain and love the essence of this dance in its truest form.