In step with Indian Culture
BY: LISA HONEYBONE
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Young Glenfield girl Jignal Patel is spreading the word on Indian culture through her love of dance.
New Zealand-born into an Indian family, her parents didn't want her to lose grip of her culture so they signed her up for Indian classical dance
and Bollywood dancing.
She went to Bollywood dance classes in central Auckland and has performed in several festivals.
She credits her involvement with Indian dance for the person she is today in terms of appreciating and being interested in Indian culture.
Miss Patel has a dance background in ballet, jazz and rhythmic gymnastics and initially she says she wasn’t too interested in Bollywood dancing.
But she fell more and more in love with the costumes, colour and glamour of it.
The 17-year-old has even learned to speak Hindi.
She says growing up here you don’t get the same exposure to Indian culture.
"If you’re Indian you should embrace it," she says.
She says Bollywood dancing is perfect because it’s classical, traditional Indian dance influenced by western culture.
"In a way it symbolises the generation of Indian kids growing up in New Zealand," she says.
Not many of her friends at Kristin School know about her Bollywood dancing but her close friends think it’s very "cool."
She says it’s a fun way to keep fit and there are no rules in Bollywood dancing.
Last year Miss Patel gave free dance lessons as part of completing her school community service but she is now setting up her own classes.
She is teaching at her home on Monday nights from 6pm to 7pm.
Already she has seven students around the ages of 6 to 12 and says she would love to have more time to teach.
For more information on her classes call 443-7030.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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