It was full house at Bollywood Australia Dance Competition (BADC) held over the weekend of 17-19 May at Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts in Fortitude Valley, an evening full of passionate dancers showcasing their talents to five judges.
Brisbane is home to a thriving Indian dance scene, and the 3-day dance event BADC showcases the glamour, melodrama and energy of Indian dance. “These days almost anything can be Bollywood,” BADC Director Paviter Kumar Noori emphasises. “So long as it’s Bollywood music, almost anything goes.” Mr Noori and Andrea Lam are the co-producers of BADC.
“We saw such tremendous talent within the Indian dance population of Brisbane,” Miss Lam says. “Dancers are incredibly underrated. If they make it look too easy, people assume it is easy to do without taking into account the years of training required to make it look easy. We have enormous respect for this and really want to create a platform where dancers can be showcased, and Bollywood dancers can connect with each other, as well as with the wider Brisbane dance scene.”
“The idea is not only to have a place for the Indian dance community to be showcased, but to also connect with the larger community of dancers to skillshare, collaborate, or to simply see what else is out there,” said Mr Noori.
The BADC directors brought together the judging panel of local and international dance artists including Sonali Bhadauria, one of India’s most prominent independent choreographers and YouTube sensation, Ramona Lobo, Sydney-based Bollywood choreographer for SYTYCD Australia and Bollywood Star, Wanida Serce, director of Pink Matter, Sammie Williams, independent artist and co-director of Elements Collective, and Helena Joshi, director of Infinity Kathak.
“Heartfelt thanks to all our performers who left their hearts on stage; the audience who kept them going, the incredible MC’s; amazing ticketing staff, ushers and runners; fantastic judges,” BADC wrote on their Facebook page.
Winners!
First Overall – LAKS dance crew
Second overall – Tapori Squad
Third overall – Nisha Bhaga
Upper solo/duo/trio – Nisha Bhaga
Youth solo/duo/trio – Dhrishti Deepak Kandpal
Upper group – LAKS dance crew
Youth group- Let’s Bollywood!