Bollywood Sweeps South Florida
MIAMI (CBS4) - Nina Davuluri made history when she became the first Indian-American to be crowned Miss America. Nina performed a Bollywood fusion dance in the talent competition. Her win has Bollywood dancers across the country bursting with pride.
"I was so happy and so proud of the fact that she had actually studied Indian dance, she respected where her parents came from, her roots, it's a great feeling," said Geeta Dias, a Bollywood dance instructor.
Born in India, Dias teaches Bollywood fusion dance to Miami girls and women from teens to seventy-somethings.
Bollywood fusion is a combination of classical Indian moves and lots of other styles, the kind of choreography you'll see in Bollywood musicals.
"A dance song could start out with traditional Indian drum beats and go into salsa or western beats or even go into some belly dance moves or contemporary," said Dias.
Some of Dias' students like Angelica Ramon and Brittney Singh come from Indian homes where they grew up with all of this and learned to love it at an early age.
"It's part of my culture and I really love to dance. It's a passion of mine," said Ramon.
"It's so fun to me, it comes natural," said Singh.
But many of those who study with Dias have no family ties to India, in fact half of those in one class are Latinas.
"I feel a different person, it actually empowers the person in me, it helps me gain confidence," said Gisela Padro.
When they dance, they say, they feel pure joy, lovely and graceful. They feel like Miss America.
