S. Asian dancers, choreographers to attend De Montfort University event

Leicester (UK), Nov.5 (ANI-Business Wire India): The cultural excitement of South Asian contemporary dance was explored at a free forum mixing a dance workshop and discussion to build alliances between De Montfort University and dancers and choreographers from Leicester and beyond.

'Alap' - the event's name means both to make an acquaintance and a prologue of music - was at DMU's PACE building in Leicester on October 29, which is New Year's Day for Gujarati/Punjabi people celebrating Diwali.

DMU dance lecturer Dr Prarthana Purkayastha led the performance workshop. She hopes lots of dancers and choreographers will attend the free event as an ideal way to kick-start a new year and a new network of South Asian dance enthusiasts in the community and higher education.

Dr Purkayastha, of DMU's Department of Performance and Digital Arts, said: "For contemporary and South Asian dance fans it will be great to mark New Year's Day with a celebration of the art form.

"Hopefully it could be the start of something bigger. A year ago I moved to Leicester from London to teach dance and have talked to dancers and teachers beyond the university. This day is a massive opportunity to make productive connections between higher education and the enthusiasts and professional dancers, teachers and schools," she added.

The day was open to all, and dancers aged 14 and over participated in a performance workshop. Dr Purkayastha's contemporary South Asian dance is a hybrid of classical dance, yoga and martial arts from Asia, and contemporary dance techniques of the West.

People attending from Leicester include Nilima Devi (Artistic Director of the Centre for Indian Cultural Dance, Leicester), Ruth Bates (Dance Development Officer for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland), and Smita Wadnerkar (Artistic Director of Nupur Arts, Leicester).

ANI