Let’s Bollywood’s Annual Dance Concert: – a celebration of rhythm and movement
Each year, Let’s Bollywood hosts its annual dance concert, a highly anticipated event that showcases talent, creativity, and dedication. It highlights dancers’ skills and the transformative power of dance as a form of expression and connection.
The theme for this year was ‘Dhol, Taal, Dhamaal – a celebration of all different forms of Indian Dance styles’. Hence, it presented an amazing array of performances, incorporating various Indian folk dance styles like Kashmiri Rauf, to Thirvathirakali of Kerela, from Gujarati Garba to Assamese Bihu, and everything in between. There were also beautiful fusion dances with classical dance forms like Bharatnatyam, Kathak and Odissi Dance fusion performed by Principal and Lead Instructor, Ms Swina Kalwar herself. However, all these performances were set to popular Bollywood music, making it super fun for the audience. About 200 students of all ages presented skilfully choreographed sequences to a lively audience of 700. Special guests included Mr Manish Saini from Indian Community of Gold Coast and Mr. Paviter Kumar Noori of Indian Cultural & Sports Club Inc., Mr. Ganesh Deshpande from Brisbane Marathi Mandal, and Mrs.Devinder Bains, the driving force behind Banyo Diwali Festival. The evening concluded with a grand finale, awards for all participants and Swina taking the stage to extend her heartfelt thanks to her patrons and supporters.
Conversation with Swina Kalwar, Principal and Lead Instructor at Let’s Bollywood Dance School
Q: Can you tell us about your journey into dance and what led you to the creation of Let’s Bollywood?
Swina: In 2012, I took a break from my Marketing career to spend time with my young kids and rediscovered my love for dancing. After performing at cultural events in Brisbane, a few local mums asked me to teach Bollywood Dance to their kids. What started in a garage with just a few children soon grew into Let’s Bollywood Dance School in 2015. Initially, I saw it as a temporary venture, but I found immense joy in teaching and watching my students become more confident dancers.
By the end of 2015, I was teaching groups on both the north and south sides of Brisbane. Since then, Let’s Bollywood has expanded to 20 batches across 5 locations, engaging over 200 dancers. My passion for dance and cultural education has made Let’s Bollywood a reputable organization, providing a positive environment for students to thrive and embrace Indian traditions.
Q: How would you describe your teaching philosophy and how does it influence your approach in dance lessons?
My main objective with Let’s Bollywood is to spread the joy of dance. I strongly believe that music and dance are the best gifts god has given to mankind. Everyone should get an opportunity to feel this joy, whether they are born with this talent or not. Dancing is not just a skill, but an art that gives happiness to your soul and body. Treating all my dancers with this fairness and giving everyone an equal opportunity to perform on stage gives my dancers that confidence. Dancers from 4.5 yrs to 85 yr olds, everyone is taught with equal attention and offered performance opportunities at various cultural and in-house events.
Q: What are some common challenges your students face, and how do you help them overcome these obstacles
As a dancer, I know that mastering precise movements and speeds can be challenging. At Let’s Bollywood, we address this by breaking down each move into its smallest details, focusing on what each part of the body should do to achieve the desired step. We teach these movements slowly and clearly, connecting them to the music and its changing beats. This approach helps our dancers master the steps more effectively and enjoyably.
Q: What role do you believe dance plays in personal development and self-expression for your students? Dance is undoubtedly a great way to keep our mind and body, healthy and happy with music enhancing this joy. When we hear a particular song/rhythm/beat, our body automatically starts moving to it. Capturing these movements into a set number of steps and performing this choreography is truly satisfying. Stage performances are great confidence booster. Dance requires coordination and harmony with music. All these qualities make dance a favourite form of art and exercise for many.
At Let’s Bollywood, we foster a love for dance while instilling pride in one’s heritage. Our classes offer not only dance training but also teamwork and lasting friendships.
Q: What are your goals for the future of Let’s Bollywood and how do you plan to achieve them?
In the coming years, I aim to promote Indian Arts more broadly, while mainly focusing on dance but also including music, instruments, and handicrafts. I plan to collaborate with local artists to create a central platform for Brisbane families to access and learn these art forms easily. Additionally, I want to develop more complex and meaningful dances for our advanced dancers and use our two Competition batches as a source of inspiration and motivation for the rest of our students.
For any further information about Let’s Bollywood and its classes, visit their website at www.letsbollywood.com.au or their social media pages at www.facebook.com/letsbollywood or www.instagram.com/letsbollywood
