POPULAR STYLE: Classical and bharatanatyam Indian dance teacher Roja Kannan. 0321bollywood1
BOLLYWOOD IN ORANGE: Classical and bharatanatyam Indian dance teacher Roja Kannan leads the group in a Bollywood dance session on Thursday. 0321bollywood1
TRADITIONAL SOUND: Jacob Sutherland plays the didgeridoo watched by Brandon Mundy (far left), Darcy Mackay, Gabe Wiggins,Terry McLean (back), Fred Mundy, Caleb Sutherland and Isaac Sutherland (front) at the Aboriginal cultural and music session on Thursday. Photos:JUDE KEOGH 0321workshop1
IT was a chance to wiggle and giggle on Thursday night at a Bollywood dance workshop.
The session was part of a Week in Harmony events with 45 men, women and children shaking their stuff in the flamboyant Indian dance style.
Classical and bharatanatyam Indian dance teacher Roja Kannan said it was an easy style of dance to teach.
“It is a style where it has evolved in the last 10 years and has become really popular ... it has caught on all over the world,” she said.
“I have taken care not to include anything that is not traditional.”
Mrs Kannan said there was a lot of laughter and fun in Thursday night’s session.
“It shows how easily that whole style can be followed,” she said.
Orange City Council migrant support officer Annie Gallagher said Mrs Kannan taught everyone how to dance “step by step”.
“It was a bit of fun and others just came for a bit of a wiggle and giggle,” she said.
“It was fantastic to come together for a little bit of culture.”
Mrs Kannan will also perform at an Indian classical dance concert tomorrow from 2pm at the Orange Regional Conservatorium.
“It takes quite a number of years of training from a guru and it’s very widely practised in India,” Mrs Kannan said.
“It’s something that has originated from souther India ... I’ll be following a very traditional repertoire.”
Week in Harmony workshops have been open to the public this week in the lead-up to the concert finale tomorrow afternoon.
Free workshops included African drumming, multicultural singing, Indian percussion, Indian dance, Aboriginal vocals and didgeridoo and Chinese vocals and mixed instruments.
Ms Gallagher said tomorrow’s free concert would allow workshop participants to showcase their new-found skills.
The concert finale will be held at the Orange Regional Conservatorium from 4pm to 6pm. Doors open at 3.45pm, seating is limited.
nadine.morton@fairfaxmedia.com.au