Dubai's annual Dance Extravaganza starts this weekend

the Dubai-based Sharmila Dance. Attached are pictures of Sharmila Kamte the founder, alongside her dancers. Credit: Courtesy Sharmila Dance

The Dubai-based Sharmila Dance, presents the 13th annual Dance Extravaganza, bursting with hip-hop, street jazz, contemporary, ballet, break dancing and Bollywood by more than 200 performers.

The event, held at Centrepoint Theatre, Ductac Mall of The Emirates on April 26 - 27, aims to highlight dance as a form of art and sport. Sharmila Kamte, founder of Sharmila Dance,  says this will also be her last year performing - alongside her students and company of professional dancers.

“I’m ready to change the way I work. I want to stop while I’m good and concentrate more on arranging fun projects,” says Kamte, “It’s been a very big part of my life and this is also a very exciting next step.”

Sharmila Kamte, founder of Sharmila Dance. Courtesy Butch Delatina

The upcoming show has been extended this year to just over two hours and divided into sections to ensure each performer is seen. Kamte, reveals the opening scene was approached more creatively this year.

“It starts with a Roman/Greek mythology theme, with exaggerated costume and a Zorba dance,” she says. “The music is mixed because we take pieces from different artists.”

Sets inspired by the movie The Hunger Games, chart topping hits and classical music, will also be performed. The dancers themselves, will at one stage be transformed into a human orchestra “using their bodies to create the music”

“The only art where the body is the instrument, is dance,” says Kamte.

The Sharmila Dance Extravaganza originally started off as a small street jazz dance show 12 years ago and has since enjoyed an impressive transformation. The dance school offers a range of ongoing classes and workshops for students of all ages and levels.

Tickets are available at Virgin Megastore and Ductac Box Office. Tickets cost Dh110 to Dh165. Visit: www.sharmiladance.com