Press June 2010

A
CCENTTuesday
&
CLASSIFIEDS
June 15, 2010 • Section B
Learn to dance
Bollywood Style
By Rebecca Sewald
[email protected]
A
steady, upbeat drum
cadence echoed throughout the dance studio at
the Elkton Arts Center, where
three women stood barefoot, facing their reflections on the mirrored wall in front of them.
Moving to the music, dance
instructor Nisha Punjabi demonstrated a simple Bollywoodstyle dance routine that the
women were to follow.
“With Bollywood dance,
you must multi-task a
lot,” Punjabi said as she
clapped her hands against
her legs and began
to move forward, tapping
her heels
against the
floor with
every
step. “See
how many different ways I make
your body move with
Bollywood?”
She paused the
music and went back
to her starting place,
where she walked
her students through
the choreography
step by step.
“It’s a little intimidating at the beginning, but if you
enjoy it and are
patient, you will be
fine,” she said.
During the class
– the first of six to
be held in Elkton
– Punjabi used the
time to introduce her
students to the cultural aspects of
Bollywood dancing. Additional
classes will take place at 6:30
p.m. on June 17 and 24, as well
as July 1, 8 and 15.
Bollywood dance was developed in India and gained popularity in the 1970s and ’80s
as a result of the moviemaking industry, Punjabi said.
Consequently, TV shows like
“So You Think You Can Dance”
and movies like “Slumdog
Millionaire” and “Bride
and Prejudice” have
caused it to become a
growing trend among
Americans.
“Bollywood dance is a
combination of the Indian
classical style, the
Indian folk style
and all the
different
world
dances
that you
have – it could be
jazz, ballet, Russian,
the Irish jig or belly
dancing,” she said.
The dance style
traditionally features choreography that incorporates the
entire body.
Nisha Punjabi
demonstrates
a Bollywood
dance technique at the
Elkton Arts
Center.
CECIL WHIG PHOTOS BY REBECCA SEWALD
Nisha Punjabi instructs Pamela Goffinet of Fair Hill, left, and Marie Roberts of North East, right, during a recent Bollywood
dance class.
But it’s not just a physical experience, it’s also an emotional and
spiritual undertaking, Punjabi
said.
“The difference between
Bollywood dancing and other
types of dance around the world
is that we have a lot of hand gestures that depict the lyrics. We
enact the entire song. All of our
dance moves have some meaning,” she said. “… Indian dancing
started off in temples, and at that
time, it was more about enacting
the mythological stories, which
were about how god would want
us to lead our lives.”
Punjabi has been teaching
Bollywood dance for 20 years.
Believing dance to be a universal
language, the Newark woman
started teaching in an effort to
help others better understand her
culture.
“I was able to cross cultural
barriers very easily,” she said.
One of her first students was
her son, who is now 24.
“When my son was born in
this country, I wanted to teach
him and his friends what India
was all about,” she said.
Today, Punjabi teaches
Bollywood dance classes seven
days a week at various locations
in and around Newark. Her students range in age from 3 to 82
and many of them begin with no
prior experience.
“As long as you love music
and dance, that’s all you need,”
she said. “It’s a fun way to exer-
cise, a fun way to keep fit and a
fun way to energize yourself.”
Punjabi will accept new students for her dance class on
Thursday at the Elkton Arts
Center. There is a $15 fee for
members of the Cecil County
Arts Council and a $20 fee for
non-members.
“It’s amazing what kind of a
transformation happens to people when they dance,” Punjabi
said. “I love to see the smiles on
their faces at the end of class. If
they’ve achieved their goal, that’s
what makes me happy.”
For more information, visit
www.nishapunjabi.com, e-mail
[email protected] or call 302-8988698.
Chillin’ with fuzzy posters, pony beads and a glue stick
In an effort to get my mind off
the fact that my daughter is out
of the country and basically out
of touch for a week or so at a time
this summer, I have sifted through
several stress-reduction devices
with somewhat limited success.
I’m not much for meditation or
spas, so dim lights, chimes and
aromatherapy are just not worth
trying.
Laying down in such an atmosphere has a way of ratcheting my
stress levels up instead of down.
That’s assuming I don’t fall asleep
first, of course.
I decided to do some cursory
research into my “type” and not
surprisingly discovered that I am a
woman of action. So I headed in a
different direction, very happy to
leave the teas, crystals and candles
behind.
While compiling a listing of
local Vacation Bible School events
last week, I rediscovered the sim-
ple tranquility of crafting.
Hundreds of kids at VBS events,
4-H clubs and camps enjoy making trinkets every summer. From
painted gourds to spirit sticks
and WWJD (what would Jesus
do?) bracelets, these kids are on to
something.
And I thought to myself, hey,
it’s summer. I’m crafty.
From crayons to Creepy
Crawlies, the fun of making something colorful is in the heart of
every aging Baby Boomer. And
I am no exception. I’ve woven
my share of potholders, braided
enough gymp to surround the
playground and glued hundreds
of googly eyes on everything from
painted rocks to yarn pom-poms.
Some of the things we loved
best as kids were soon removed
from the market. Lawn darts and
Clackers come to mind.
The first time my best friend and
I tried to swing a set of Clackers,
Wendy Hiester Gilbert
we both brained ourselves pretty
good. The acrylic balls on the ends
are really hard. Might as well have
handed us a set of nunchakas.
Lawn darts were pulled before
I’d played more than a match
or two at the neighbor’s house.
Never got the chance to “accidentally” chuck one at my little brother. Lucky for him, not so lucky for
the poor kids who spent hours
in the Emergency Room getting
stitched up.
Been there, done that; have the
scars to prove it.
Over the years, plastic pony
beads gave way to Love beads,
which morphed into a vast collection of glass and rocks.
Like a lot of my friends and
family members, I wove baskets,
embroidered cross-stitch samplers
and even tried my hand at oil
painting. I’ve knitted my fair share
of fuzzy scarves and folded many
an origami square.
The rock tumbler and glue gun
are long gone, but not until I’d fastened silk flowers to an inordinate
number of things designed for the
purpose.
I ask you – who can be riddled
with anxiety with a glue stick and
rhinestones in hand?
Although the mature arts of
card making and jewelry making
are my current loves, I decided
that I needed to go retro.
Having never been a teacher or
camp counselor, I was unaware
that this is high season for the
purchase of kids’ crafting materials. Translation – some of the good
stuff is still in stock and the rest is
one sale!
It has been a good decade or so
since I was trolling these aisles at
the craft stores, but believe it or not
– fuzzy posters are still being sold!
A psychological study would
probably suggest that there is
something calming about repetitive motion. Another might purport the satisfaction of creating
something.
A college professor I enjoyed
often lectured on the “Creative
Process.” I don’t know about any
of that, but I highly recommend
some picnic table time. If you are
lucky, it will be under a shade tree
and you will have a pony bead key
chain that vaguely resembles an
alligator when you are done!
Have a great week.
WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY
WORD OF THE DAY
ambuscade • noun
A trap in which concealed persons lie in wait to
attack by surprise; also : the persons so concealed or
their position.
In a sentence:
“They were apprized of the ambuscade by
one of the flanking party, before the Indians fired
upon them….” (George Washington, letter, Aug.
4, 1756)
TRIVIA
What is the nickname for the state of Arkansas,
which celebrates its statehood anniversary today?
Answer on page B3
Snack Smart
Karen Aspinwall, University of MD Cooperative Extension Service, presents “Smart Snacking”at 6:30 p.m. at the North East Branch Library, 106
W. Cecil Ave. Learn how to snack healthy as the speaker shares some
insights on unique and healthy snacks and even provides some
samples. Call 410-996-6269 or stop in to register.
INSIDE...
STUDENT PAGE .....................B2
HELOISE, TODAY IN HISTORY ........B3
MOVIES, TV TONIGHT ...............B3
...........................B4
CLASSIFIEDS .......................B5
COMICS
QuickBooks Lesson
Learn how to use QuickBooks more effectively by attending a presentation
from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Cecil County Public Library’s Elkton Branch. A program to help small business owners improve their efficiency in record keeping.
Free and open to all. Registration required. 410-996-5600 ext. 481.
Just what
is in your
non-dairy
creamer?
Read
“People Are Asking,” B3