Review: Eclectism, a fundraiser for the Chance to Dance festival

The brainchild of Nisha Lall, local dancer and creative community dance practitioner, Eclectism (Croft House on 27th February) was a fundraiser for this year’s Chance to Dance festival, which is free and relies on funding and donations. It’s a yearly celebration of dancing in Sheffield, welcoming groups from all styles and cultures to perform – and then teaching the public how to do it! Short taster sessions and longer classes will be held at indoor and outdoor venues around the city centre, with its traditional mass dance celebration at the end in the Peace Gardens. Look out for it on the 2nd July!

Eclectism was a heady mix of dance styles: bhangra and hip hop, contemporary, classical Indian, Roma, and bellydance. Acts such as Romano Jilo and Bella Shimmy wowed the audience with their flair and moves, and the solo piece by Simone Thompson was breathtaking. The show also included Mehfil, a short performance documenting the evolution of dance forms, with vignettes from across the ages.

The spirit of these shows is that everyone is welcome and we come together to celebrate our cultures; Sheffield is a fantastically creative place and dance is a valuable part of the arts scene. It is accessible to all. You’re never too young or too old to dance!

If you love dance, look out for the next fundraiser The Beat on 23rd April at Hillsborough College. Tickets are on sale now via the Aim to Dance website.

www.chancetodance.org