Media Release
Mangaluru, Sep 15: Shimmylaine, Mangaluru and Manipal’s belly dance academy, is all set to present the third edition of its annual showcase, ‘Kudla Hafla’, on September 27 at 6 pm at Prerana Hall, Indian Red Cross Hall, Mangaluru.
This year’s theme, ‘The Golden Caravan – A Journey through the Sands, Rhythms & Styles of Belly Dance’, will take audiences through different styles of belly dance, including Classical Oriental, Saidi, Mejance, Shaabi, Drum Solo, Arabic Pop and Fusion.
The event will feature 20+ dancers aged 7 to 75, along with guest artists Aishwarya Deshmukh from Pune, Jayesh Joshi from Goa, and Nikita Krishnan and Upasana Shenoi from Bengaluru.
What makes the showcase special is the diversity of the dancers taking the stage. They come from completely different walks of life and include homemakers, research analysts, makeup artists, HR professionals, entrepreneurs, IT professionals, healthcare professionals, influencers, PhD students, jewellery brand owners and more. While they may have different careers and responsibilities, they come together through their shared love for dance.
Behind Kudla Hafla is the journey of Shimmylaine founder Sharlaine Sequeira. Before becoming a belly dance instructor and entrepreneur, Sharlaine worked as a writer. While working full-time, she travelled to Bengaluru every single weekend to learn belly dance.
The journey was not straightforward. She faced criticism, hardships and many questions about choosing belly dance, especially at a time when the art form was not widely understood in Mangaluru. However, she continued because she believed in the art form and wanted to bring it to her hometown.
What started with just four students dancing in a backyard has today grown into a community of dancers across Mangaluru and Manipal.
The name Shimmylaine also reflects this journey. ‘Shimmy’ is one of the most recognised movements in belly dance, while ‘Laine’ represents a pathway where anyone can come together to learn, perform and grow together.
With the motto ‘Any Belly Can Dance’, Shimmylaine aims to break common misconceptions about belly dance. The academy welcomes women and men of different ages, body types and experience levels. Belly dance is not just about performance; it helps build confidence, body awareness and self-expression while allowing people to connect with their bodies, music and movement.
At Kudla Hafla, audiences are also invited to become part of The Golden Caravan by dressing in Arabian or desert-inspired attire.
The event is supported by Exotique Salon, Rahul Advertisers, VD Associates Trading Company and Kadri Ivan Pinto, whose contributions have helped bring this year’s Golden Caravan to life.
For any queries regarding the event, interested persons may contact 9880115833.
For tickets to ‘Kudla Hafla – The Golden Caravan’, CLICK HERE