IT’S ALL ABOUT DANCE

The winner of the Pepe Jeans Kids Dance Hunt, Sanika Nair (inset) proves that good things do come in small packages. The stage came alive with the nine-year-old Nair’s performance on February 8 at Hindustan Times Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (HTKGAF) 2017. Nair was selected by an elite jury from the Shiamak Davar Dance Academy. The event received over 100 entries in just three days.

Watching her effortlessly groove to popular Bollywood number ‘Sau tarah ke rog lelu’ (Dishoom; 2016), it was easy to figure out why this little package of energy was able to win over the jury. She received an overwhelming response from the audience.

Quiz her about her interests, and she says, “I have always been interested in dance. Seeing my enthusiasm, my parents enrolled me in Shiamak’s [dance] programme, when I was just seven years old. I am trained in 10 different dance forms; and I thoroughly enjoy each dance form that I practise. When I grow up, I definitely want to be a dancer.”

Pepe Jeans spokesperson Kavindra Mishra says, “Taking our association with the HTKGAF kids vertical one step further, we decided to host a kids’ dance hunt across the city. I believe that kids are natural dancers to begin with. It is our responsibility as parents to nurture and encourage a child’s innate creativity and ability; and further build their confidence. The response to the Pepe Jeans Dance Hunt was extremely overwhelming. We are proud that we were able to provide the kids with a platform as special as HTKGAF.”

Choreographer Shiamak Davar says, “I was very happy to see the response for the kids dance hunt. It’s great to see kids starting out early and having such a flair for dance. I primarily looked at how much the kids were enjoying it and their basic coordination. Seeing such passion amongst kids is the reason why I started my one year certification programme for kids (JOY) and for adults (OYP), so that dance enthusiasts can get professional training in dance, and get international certifications and opportunities.”