Prerana Singh, conceptualiser of the Malang Indian dance showcase, says Jamaica still has a long way to go to incorporate their practices into the island’s culture.

“I feel like Jamaica is the place where Indian culture is highly appreciated. How strongly it’s celebrated here, is a different story. We still have a lot of corners to touch. You can say dancing is one of the corners. Dancing can be spread out more to let people know, enjoy and feel our culture. In terms of clothing, food, dancing, a lot more can be done. I am trying my best with one corner,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Malang Indian dance showcase was held last Sunday at the Philip Sherlock Theatre on The University of the West Indies, Mona campus.

There were a total of seven dance pieces.

The night’s proceedings included an array of dances including bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance), bollywood, and folk. Each dance troupe dignified the areas of nritta, nritya and natya — which are the three main components of dance as an art. Nritta is pure dance, nritya is expression and natya is the emotion behind the art. The combination of the three give birth to dance as a vibrant art form. Prominent members of the community such as the Indian High Commissioner Masakui Rungsung, businessman Kenneth Benjamin, Member of Parliament of St Mary Dr Norman Dunn, and Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Aubyn Hill graced the evening’s event.

According to Singh, who has been a dance teacher for approximately 10 years, she was pleased to see 250 guests. The highlight of the evening was seeing the versatility of the showcase coming to fruition.

“For me the highlight of the show was that it fused. There was classical Indian dancing, folk…Spanish music. It was a package,” she said, noting that she was the sole choreographer.

Singh further said she hopes to make the event annual.

“It’s my cultural showcase. I just wanted to showcase the learning journey of my students. So, I hope to keep it going,” she said.