The Indian International Dance Congress which began in the city on July 5 will continue till Sunday. This event will showcase the best of dance from across the world
“People have asked me why I chose to be a dancer. I did not choose. I was chosen to be a dancer, and with that, you live all your life,” said the legendary choreographer Martha Graham. And so believes several aspiring, passionate dancers from over 15 countries around the world who have flown to Bengaluru with zeal to win.
The India International Dance Congress hosted by Latino Rhythms Dance Academy continues till Sunday. With dance prodigies from all round the world coming under one roof to compete their hearts out only to bag the title of Asia’s Best, this event is power packed.
Explaining what IIDC is all about John Anthony the founder says, “This is basically a congregation of many international artistes coming together with the love for dance. It is an opportunity for Indian students and teachers who never get an opportunity to learn from famous artistes overseas. They can train themselves and evolve holistically and make a career out of it.”
Speaking about the genres of dancers who will be participating he adds, “We’re mainly focusing on Latin, but this is of course a dance congress so we entertain other dance forms like belly dancing, contemporary, hip-hop and others. Most of the students coming from around the world are aspiring dancers who are professionally from different walks of life. Like the IT industry and so one. The main motive for everyone is to gain knowledge and take something new back with them by the end.”
The prize money for the winner is Rs 3 Lakh which isn’t really much according to John, however he says it is the title of being The Asia Champion is what matters. There are several international celebrities and reality show champions from their own counties who will be part of this. Terence Lewis is the brand ambassador and will be in the city to host a workshop, give away prizes and socialise.
Adam Pasha, Kannada Bigg Boss contestant also famous for his sizzling dance moves will also be at the event as a spectator and will socialise, he says, “As a dancer I cannot describe the feeling of how excited I am to be part of this event. This opportunity of standing a chance to meet famous YouTube and reality show dancers in real life is commendable. John and IIDC have put in immense amount of perseverance into bridging the gap between India Latin dancers and the famous talented dancers worldwide.”
When you have the passion to grow and achieve big you tend to channelise everything that comes your way towards achieving your goal. This is what John Anthony the founder of Asia’s largest dance congress has to say on his inspiring tale. He shares, “I started my career as a courier delivery boy, I worked all day and attending evening colleges. I later got a job at a reputed software firm and now that I was financially stable I moved towards my passion which has always been Latin dance. I eventually started a dance school, I first organised IIDC in 2011 saw a great response and this is now the 8th edition. The only reason behind why I strive so hard is to ensure every young kid with a passion for dance must be guided to the right path.”
The International Dance Congress is on till 7 July at Clark Exotica, which is only a few kilometres away from the Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru.
