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Sunday, 13 November 2016

Celebrating Diwali - the Festival of Light

On Saturday I had the opportunity to attend Diwali - the Festival of Light - presented by the South West Indian Group in Bunbury in Western Australia's south west. I was there as a member of Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company who had been invited to perform. It was a fabulous evening of entertainment, culture, colour, music, vibrancy and energy, plus delicious food from Spice Journey.  The Bollywood theme was highly featured and enjoyed by the audience.

So today I am sharing some of the photos I took. Please excuse the quality as I was using a zoom lens in low light, I had to increase the ISO so I could hand hold my camera, and we were sitting about half way back in a packed room of guests, but I am sure the photos will give you an idea of the vibrancy of the performances. Unfortunately I don't have any images of our dance! 


(From Wikipedia): Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs and some Buddhists to mark different historical events and stories but they all symbolise the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, hope over despair.

The mythical stories told for Diwali vary regionally and within the traditions of Hinduism. Yet, they all point to joy and the celebration of Diwali with lights to be a reminder of the importance of knowledge, self inquiry, self-improvement, knowing and seeking the good and the right path. It is a metaphor for resisting evil, for dispelling darkness and for compassion to others. Diwali is the celebration of this inner light over spiritual darkness, of knowledge over ignorance and right over wrong. It is a festive restatement of the Hindu belief that the good ultimately triumphs over evil.  

Pushpanjali- an offering of flowers
South Indian Tamil Dance- Vijay children's group
Charishnu - a fusion dance of classical Indian dance styles
Zumba Fitness Group with Bollywood music

 Bollywood - Bhangra Rulez



Aboriginal Noongar group performing with didgeridoo
Bollywood girls
Dangerous Delights Fire Dancers

Audience joining in at the end of the show - you can see two of our flamenco dancers on the right hand side

Sol y Sombra performed a flamenco version of Ravel's Bolero at Diwali. This dance was choreographed for our 25th anniversary show in 2015, and was rechoreographed for the Eisteddfod in June where we won our section - the Over 25s Theatrical Dance. We were invited back to dance at the Eisteddfod Gala night, which was a great honour. It was great to be performing this piece again, this time at Diwali.

Soly y Sombra Spanish Dance Company at the Eisteddfod in June 2016

 I hope you have enjoyed this little look at at the Diwali 2016 Festival of Lights. For more information on the South West Indian Group please click here - SW Indian Group

Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
 
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12 comments:

  1. Rose L14 November 2016 at 12:25

    Cool photos!

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  2. Jo ~ Lifestyle Fifty and ZigaZag14 November 2016 at 15:38

    Oh those colours are so beautiful. And what fun. Fantastic to be involved in cross cultural dancing. I didn't know the full meaning of Diwali so found that interesting too :)

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  3. Lady Fi15 November 2016 at 17:10

    Wonderful shots of this lovely celebration.

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  4. NCSue17 November 2016 at 07:58

    Beautiful dancers!
    Thanks for linking up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/11/haifa-israel.html

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  5. Michele {Malaysian Meanders}21 November 2016 at 08:36

    One thing that I miss about living in Penang is all the Diwali decorations at the malls. I like how festive this celebration you danced at looks like. So colorful! I think it's nice that they've included Zumba and Flamenco dancers as well, not just traditional Indian dances. I'd love to see your group perform some day.

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  6. Budget Travel Talk21 November 2016 at 09:51

    What an evening of colour. I can only imagine the vibrant atmosphere and would've loved to have been there. So good to see you enjoying your Spanish dance.

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  7. Snap21 November 2016 at 22:08

    How lovely! What a treat! Happy Monday!

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  8. Maggie21 November 2016 at 22:27

    What a wonderful celebration to have been a part of. Flamenco, Zumba, Bollywood and Fire Dancers to name just a few,such a fascinating mix of cultures to enjoy.
    Happy Mosaic Monday.

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  9. ellen b22 November 2016 at 06:24

    Looks so interesting and colorful. Bet the music was great.

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  10. Lorrie22 November 2016 at 09:55

    What a wonderful, colourful event that must have been. The variety of dances, the swirling costumes - just beautiful!

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  11. Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit26 November 2016 at 15:08

    What great photos!
    #TeamLovinLife

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  12. Kathy Marris27 November 2016 at 10:01

    Beautiful image of even more beautiful dancers Jill. It would have been a marvellous spectacle. :) #teamlovinlife

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I hope you have enjoyed your visit to my blog. Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. I read and very much appreciate every comment and love hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return.