It’s Kajal’s time to shine
I was nervous and quite out of breath after the first rehearsal
TELEVISION personality Kajal Bagwandeen cannot wait to get her sparkle on.
The Indian classical dancer has dusted off her ghungroos (dancing bells) to make a special appearance in a dance performance of Eastern Evening.
Choreographed by Durban dance enthusiast Iqraam Rahim, the talent show will see young dancers from various schools pitted against each other in a fusion of dance styles, ranging from Bollywood and Indian classical dance to hip-hop, pantsula and disco.
Rahim and Bagwandeen started dancing together many years ago under the tutelage of Smeetha Maharaj at the Nateshwar Dance Academy.
Both have gone on to pursue their passion — arts and entertainment — and support each other’s careers.
Rahim, who champions the promotion of culture, in particular among the youth, came up with the concept of Eastern Evening and approached Bagwandeen to perform.
“He is a brother to me and I agreed. I was nervous and quite out of breath after the first rehearsal,” said Bagwandeen.
She last danced in Chalo Cinema three years ago.
The fun-filled project introduces the joy of dance to high school pupils, affording them an opportunity to compete against each other as they showcase their skills on a public platform.
“Eastern Evening will sparkle with dance that is fresh,” said Rahim.
“The significance of cultural practice as well as cultural tolerance is incalculable and is sadly lacking in our education system.
“To embrace a progressive South African culture, we need to engage with students and give them a space in which to voice their opinions and connect with their own cultural identities.”
He said independent Eastern evenings (not directly related to the show) were particularly popular among the youth, but that constraints such as a lack of funding, professional facilitation and support often prevented high school pupils from experiencing these culturally significant moments.
International dance icon Kshitij Vaishnav is flying out from India especially to choreograph the routines performed by the school teams involved in the event.
Trained under the internationally renowned dance brand Shiamak Davar, Vaishnav has 20 years of formal training in almost every genre of dance and has worked with scores of Bollywood stars. Rahim has also completed several Shiamak Davar courses in India during his career.
Eastern Evening will see Crawford College North Coast competing against Northwood Boys for a cash prize of R5 000.
In addition, the prize carries 10 hour-long choreographic sessions from Rampage Dance Company with a total value of R20 000 for the winning team’s next independent Eastern evening.
Selected participants who show outstanding potential will also be profiled on the evening. A panel of experts in the field of dance and the performing arts will judge the competition.
Eastern Evening takes place in the Playhouse Opera Theatre on Wednesday August 13 at 7pm.
Tickets are R120 and R150. Call Computicket on 0861-915-8000 or book online at computicket.com. Alternatively, call The Playhouse Box Office on (031) 369-9540 (office hours).