Every Friday afternoon the performers put on their bright yellow T-shirts and excitedly pile into a large open space at The Summit.
At North Shore ConneXions Society’s recreation centre, an energetic choreographer starts the groups off with a few repetitions of some expressive body movements – minus the peppy Bollywood music just yet. Once she feels they’ve learnt the steps, she cranks the tunes.
“Some steps are hard to learn and some are easy,” says dancer Sian Montgomery.
Her friend, Danielle Juilfs, admits Bollywood dancing is hard to learn but the effort is worth when the big night arrives.
The Summit’s Shiamak Bollywood group is preparing for a heartwarming variety show called Mingle of the Jingles, an annual fundraiser for North Shore ConneXions Society, which supports children and adults in the community with developmental disabilities.
One hour each week, for pretty much the whole year, the small group of dancers work toward the goal of performing for their friends, family and the community at the 500-seat Kay Meek Centre theatre with professional sound and lighting.
“They’ve worked hard and they know it’s entertaining, you can tell from the audience’s reaction,” says Mingle of the Jingles organizer Nathalie Callender, who also runs North Shore ConneXions’ social enterprise program.
Mingle of the Jingles, now in its 11th year, has evolved into something special for the North Shore ConneXions family. The Bollywood group and other ConneXions entertainers share the stage with professional performers and hold their own.
Jeremy Sellars is an annual fan favourite. One year Sellars sang the Elvis Presley classic “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, recalls Callender.
“To see them achieve what they thought was beyond the impossible, it’s worth it,” she says. “They light up, they know they have done a magical performance.”
This year the Bollywood dancers will take the stage in sleek costumes with a splash of sparkle for a performance highlighting disco favourites, says their beloved choreographer Sura Ravindran.
New this year are the Joy of Movement dancers, made up of people on the autism spectrum, from North Vancouver’s Vanleena Dance Academy.
The Mingle of the Jingles variety show on Dec. 7 starts at 7 p.m. and will also feature a silent auction beforehand. More info: mingleofthejingles.com.
