Report 
  

The UN World Dance Day in Dubai  
- Radha Hari, Dubai 
e-mail: shanki84@emirates.net.ae  
 

June 6, 2005 

The three-day World Dance Day celebration was held for the first time in Dubai from May 4 to May 6, 2005 at the Indian Consulate Auditorium. Tripti Bhupen, the Dubai based Indian classical danseuse and her professional artiste friends and group of international dancers with the support of Mr. G S Madhav Rao, Principal of Our Own English High school, Dubai, came together to celebrate The World Dance Day in Dubai with a program called 'The Dance of Life.' Tripti brought the music of the distinguished Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Saheb and the legendary Asha Bhosle together for this program. 

The three-day event opened with the facets of Indian classical dance. On the first day, the 4th of May, the program included the five styles of Indian dance namely Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathak and Mohini Attam with a glimpse of Manipuri and featuring seven dancers. 
 

On 5th of May, there was an art exhibition of the students' work in the form of collage, paintings, models etc., everything related to dance at Our Own English High School throughout the day and later in the evening, there was a specially choreographed performance by them at the Jumeirah College. The program featured a Kuchipidi solo, a Marathi folk, a Kathak trio, a Tamil folk, a Bhangra dance and many more forms of Indian dance. 

The grand finale was on Friday, May 6th at the Jumeirah College, which was truly spectacular. It was a grand performance which included Indian classical dance fusion by Tripti Bhupen and group, a Western classical ballet, a classical Indian dance, a Western Medley by the students of Bits Pilani, a Palestinian dance, a grand Salsa etc. The program concluded with 'Divine Ecstasy,' performed by Tripti Bhupen and other Indian dancers. 

The World Dance Day was established in 1982 with a view to promote dance. It is being held on the 29th of April, every year. The main purpose of Dance Day events is to attract the attention of the wider public to the art of dance. 

Tripti Bhupen has done her post graduation from Kalakshetra, Chennai, and has established Samarpan School of performing Arts affiliated to Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Dubai to promote this art form. Tripti said that her main objective in conducting this program was to increase the awareness among the people staying abroad, about the classical dance of styles of India.