Bollywood dance party in St. John's set to welcome the new year
CBC
A dance party with a Bollywood theme is set to take over a downtown St. John's bar to say goodbye to 2023 and usher in 2024.
"It's just a small part of our really rich culture. And speaking about the music, it's really upbeat. So it's really hard not to dance [to] music like this, right?" said Pranshu Pandey, who is organizing the New Year's Eve event with Hitesh Arora.
"It's really close to our hearts, as well. And this is what we plan to bring to St. John's as well."
The event, open to all 19 and up, will take place at Trapper John's, a pub on George Street, from 10:30 p.m. through to 3 a.m.
Arora said people should wear what they typically would to clubs and bars — and be ready to move.
"Bollywood music is really lively and uplifting. So the one thing I'm going to say, if you're coming to a Bollywood party, you're going to dance a lot. A lot," he said.
"So you have to be prepared for that."
While Bollywood music is often associated with more traditional dress styles, Pandey said it's "mixed up" with more modern settings so people can wear whatever they want, even a suit.
Arora said they've been living in Newfoundland and Labrador for the past four years and that they always want to dance to Bollywood music. New Year's Eve felt like a good opportunity for the pair to host their first Bollywood dance party. They have more events planned for the upcoming year.
"We learned a lot from people from this province. Like, I really like their music, their culture. And that's why we just decided why not give them back something," said Arora.
Pandey said when he first arrived in the province, he didn't know anything about Western traditions but said he fell in love with them, including a turkey dinner.
"That's when we were having a casual conversation and we just came up with the fact that, hey... how about we introduce something to St. John's?" said Pandey.
Arora said Bollywood music is close to both of their hearts and it represents India's culture, adding that it isn't from a specific state.
Arora said he's from northern India, where Punjabi music is popular, so it's also part of Bollywood music.
