This year santa claus and christmas came dressed as Shiamak's winterfunk festival which was curated in the form of an Awards Night, at Watford Colosseum that echoed the enthusiasm of a spellbound audience, and students who indulged in their love for Bollywood.
Shiamak London's instructors, were led by Shruti Shah and Rohan Shah and they travelled all the way from India, along with Devashree Pande, Diya Lakhani, Manka Rangar, Yashni Shah and Natasha Patel. They continue to inspire the Indian community in the UK by teaching kids how to dream big-in technicolor, and giving the adults a platform to enjoy themselves. Woots, whistles and cheers became the beats to which the performers danced and embraced their “filmy” Indian roots
Shiamak London, which has now evolved in its 16th Funk saw over 400 students from Harrow, Wembley, Southall, Ilford, Croydon, Dartford & Central London performing at this year’s event.
'Awards Night' was the theme of the show which kick-started with the dance team paying homage to the biggest Bollywood stars. Siva Kumar Grandhi was awarded the best male dancer while there was a tie between Khush Saikia and Meghna Nanda for the best dancer in the female category. Neil Raichura bagged the best debut male dancer whereas, Sweety Patel & Viva Mehta landed the best female debut and the Spirit of Dance during the show. Whereas, Aditi Dey was awarded the best performer.
With each Bollywood performance the show transported the audience to whimsical reels lush with imagery - from mustard fields to a rainbow-coloured university campus. Mehndi nights in a grand haveli, to rain-drenched platforms at the train station, the performances were a trip down the memory lane for every Bollywood fan.
Brent Leader Mr. Muhammmed Butt received an appreciation award for his outstanding contribution for encouraging young talent within the Brent Community as the organisation heads towards the celebration of Brent2020- a cultural milestone of Brent. Over £1m of funding has been awarded to Brent borough to curate a program of cultural events.
At this show, the purveying theme of 'Awards Night' led to gratitude awards for several local talents for their outstanding contribution to South Asian Arts & Culture in the UK. Celebrity singer and music composer Mr. Navin Kundra was awarded a trophy for his contribution to music and dance in the UK. The show was hosted by Anushka Arora.
