SDA Celebrates Indian Independence Day 2019!

Shehnaaz Dance Academy celebrated an eventful Indian Independence Day this year. The Indian Independence Day is celebrated on August 15th. However, this year we had a week long celebration and some wonderful experiences while sharing the love for our culture and patriotism for our nation in Jersey City and beyond.

Our appearance at the 5th Annual indian Independence Day event was our most memorable till date. Our 3 year old students performed to a mix of Kandhon Se Milte and the hummable Phir Bhi Dil hai Hindustani. They charmed their way into the hearts of the audience with their big smiles and cute moves. Our 5 year old students performed to the energetic Rang de Basanti track from the self titled movie. They enthralled the audience with their fun Bhangra moves.

Our 7 year olds rocked the stage with their stylised version of the Kashmiri poem Rind Posh Maal. written by the 18th century Kashmiri Poet Rasul Mir and is sung as a Kashmiri folk song by the natives. The poem talks about the innocent and playful childhood love between Rind and his female counterpart Poshmaal. Our Classical fusion students performed to a Classical (Bharatnatyam) Fusion act set to the tunes of Vande Mataram which is the National Song of India. The second half of this piece is a part of a mantra from the ancient Indian scripture it was adopted as the national motto of India on 26 January 1950 and is inscribed below our National Emblem- The Lion Capital of Asoka.

Our classical act for the night was the award winning Breathless Reprise performance which has already won us the title of the winner in the adult category at the JC Dance Stars 2 competition. Our final act for the night was our exclusive Patriotic Mix which blended semi classical, lyrical and Bollywood Dance Styles to bring to the forefront everyone’s patriotic sentiments. This finale got the audience teary eyed during the classical bit to the lilting melody of Aye Watan and ended with clapping and cheering to the high energy track Thaare Vaaste from Parmanu. The support from our JC community and peers lead to a perfect end to our appearance.

Our next appearance this Indian Independence Day, to honor our great nation, was at the Indian Flag Hoisting ceremony at the City Hall, Jersey City. Our talented students both sang the National Anthem as well as performed the Vande Mataram act for our Mayor Steven Fulop, our councilmen and several stalwarts of the Indian Community in Jersey City. The flag hoisting ceremony always holds a special place in our heart. SDA is proud and thankful to be a part of such a diverse and harmonious city that accepts and celebrates all cultures with open arms.

Last but not the least, our appearance at the 39th India Day Parade, organized by Federation of Indian Association NY/NJ/CT, was one for the books. Dancing atop the Bombino Express Float with our heads held high and our tricolor fluttering in the wind was an experience worth cherishing. Our SDA Adult Dancers performed a medley of patriotic tracks both old and new, as well as several foot tapping dance numbers to get the crowds cheering and clapping with us while we were dancing atop the float. Our stint on the float culminated in a repeat performance of our Patriotic Mix act being performed to a huge NYC audience. Again, the Aye Watan track had the audience wiping tears from their eyes while the high energy Thaare Vaaste song and the choreography performed to it had the audience clapping and stomping to the beats of the track. Our adult dancers did a fantastic job at this event and received several compliments for their performance. They brought their energy, expressions and charisma to the stage and we are so proud of their achievements.