Saturday 25th February saw us bring local south Asian dance groups from Woking come together to perform at the Mini Mela Community Dance Platform at Buzz Studio, Woking.
Buzz studio was filled on Saturday with community groups dancing in South Asian styles with Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Bollywood and Chinese Classical dancing. The theatre was filled with an amazing array of colour and lavish costumes and make-up. There were five different community groups performing whom male professional soloist Shyam Dattanii joined, closing the evening with classical Kathak dancing.
The evening was full of fun, with the groups really enjoying the fun and relaxed atmosphere. Beeja’s Children’s group from Croydon opened the evenings showcase with a lively Bollywood medley about kites and flying followed by a piece that played with colour to celebrate Holi, a march festival representing the beginning of Spring. Desi Movez followed, based in Byfleet, the group is made up of NHS health workers who are passionate about dancing. They presented a fusion of 4 Bollywood songs, using the Gharba and Dandiya styles. Third on stage were Beeja’s classical community dance group. These dancers used the piece to explore motherhood and the universal feminine.
The Chinese Association of Woking, fresh from their New Year celebration in Jubilee square followed with a beautiful piece choreographed from the traditional peacock dance of the Dai people in Southern China. This beautiful dance brought us to a moonlit bamboo forest in a Dai village along the Mekong.
Beeja’s performance group increased the tempo with two pieces, the first showcasing all that is snazzy about being a women and the second celebrating the universal gooses through a folk form called Garba, a circle dance that would include the entire community, who would gather to dance together each October. Closing the platform was male soloist Shyam Dattanii who performed a beautiful Kathak piece.
The audience was treated to a finale that included a follow and response clapping game led by Amina Khayyam. A massive thank you to all the groups involved in the performance and for making it such a success.
