DNA
- Dancers pep up cocktail parties and bachelor nights before wedding days
Ahmedabad, Nov 7 (mb): The city’s elaborate if not traditional wedding celebrations are getting spiced up. Belly dancers are now part of the scene, with many being flown in from Mumbai and even as far as Brazil and Russia.
Amdavadi families are no longer averse to having them as a part of the baraat where they only add to the fun and frolic. It is now getting increasingly common to see Egyptian and Russian belly dancers doing their stuff at wedding functions too!
Belly dancers are, in fact, edging out the more traditional garba nights and Arabic music, and are making a splash at the sangeet-sandhyas this December. Ritika (name changed) is getting married next month. “It is usually only the family which gets together at wedding functions. To increase the participation of the guests and give them an unforgettable experience, we will have belly dancers at our sangeet-sandhya.”
The urge to have a good time and not look at what it costs is what makes Amdavadis eager to splurge. Karan (30) says, “The ultimate aim of wedding celebrations is to have fun. Besides, if we have money to spend then why should we not do something that people will notice? Bringing in belly dancers is the best option.”
Apart from the baraat and the sangeet-sandhyas, belly dancers can also pep-up the atmosphere at cocktail parties and bachelor nights which are increasingly being held as part of the entire wedding celebrations. Those throwing bachelor parties say belly dancers can even double up as bar tenders and strippers.
“At wedding cocktails, we have to invite corporate biggies and business partners from outside Gujarat,” says Dhananjay (56), who flew in a belly dancer from Dubai for his son’s wedding last year. Money is no consideration for those who want to have a great time and they are willing to pay anywhere between Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 for an hour’s performance.
Traditional reservations no longer hold. Many women are open to the idea of having belly dancers at wedding functions. Nandita (46) says, “This is pure entertainment and I see nothing wrong. With the belly dancers holding centre-stage, men and women can all dance together.”