Never forget your culture: Dancer
Arenowned classical dancer from India, Nehha Bhatnagar, has urged Fijians of Indian descendant living here that they should never forget their culture.
Ms Bhatnagar is in the country on the invitation of the Indian High Commission to Fiji. One of her six performances will be at the Then India Sanmarga Ikya (TISI) Sangam's annual convention on Friday.
Her opening performance at the 91st TISI Sangam Convention on Friday night will be on feminine energy and she will also show clips on the SARVAM girls on how to impart skills.
"I hope to make people at the convention realise that these art forms are not boring if performed and presented properly," she said.
"I have to be enterprising and to present it smartly and I hope to make people at the convention realise that classical dance is not boring."
She has performed in over 15 countries and across India. "Everyone has a soul waiting to be touched. And if you are sending your child for dance classes in Fiji, then please ensure that it's not only Bollywood dance but also Indian classical dance."
She is expected to steal the show at this year's Sangam convention.
Classical dance, in particular Bharatnatyam, is her passion since she was a child. Ms Bhatnagar started the SARVAM Foundation in India in 2012 with the aim to bring a new dialogue in performing arts in India, create new artistes and new technicians.
Apart from these, her main aim was to bring arts to the underprivileged girls living in slums near her home in Delhi, India.
"I wanted to take it out to the girls in the slums and the goal was to give them self confidence and see the world," she said.
"I didn't want to do the numbers game but 20 girls are full-time dancers now and they even perform in Europe."
Ms Bhatnagar said SARVAM Foundation does not receive any funding and whatever she teaches underprivileged girls from the slums was through her own resources although she met people along the way who gave sponsorship.
The four-day annual TISI convention gets underway at Lawaqa Park on Friday morning with the official opening where thousands of Sangam members from Fiji and overseas will converge in Sigatoka for the annual convention.