Burnaby women step it up with Bollyfusion group

AbhinayaNatesh anatesh@burnabynow.com

ForYeshvi Mehta, a University of British Columbia science grad, life in Canada was always about searching for that “sense of home and community.” Decades ago, when she was just four years old, Mehta immigrated to Canada from India with her family

With that life behind her, dance, she said, was the one constant that reminded of her ties to home. “Especially in Indian culture, where everyone dances during weddings and other festivities, dance, I felt, was the only way I could maintain that connection to home,” she added.

So when she met Hasini Basnayake, another science grad from Simon Fraser University and bonded over their love for dance, the two put their hearts and minds together to blend their cultures and help build an inclusive dance community

“Bollyfusion ”

Coming from Sri Lanka, Basnayake is a trained (Kandyan) classical dancer. She came to Canada at the age of 18; unlike Mehta, Basnayake was introduced to Bollywood only when she came to Cana- da. “I think there’s a lot of beauty in mixing different dance forms and cultures,” she said.

Their 9-to-5 jobs were satisfactory, but they needed more to bring a balance to their lives and help them express themselves and their unique identities of who they are “Because I don’t think my degrees necessarily expressed that,” Basnayake said

“We started it last summer because we went to a (dance) class where half the class were our (brown) friends,” Mehta said “We realized we have this community already.We just don’t have a place for our- selves ”

Mehta and Basnayake, in a conversation with the NOW, explained they started Bollyfusion to fill the gap of what they didn’t see a space to empower brown women and move how they felt comfortable, no matter the expertise.

“We’re not a dance studio we’re not a professional dance team, that’s not what we’re doing,” they said. “We’re building a community that includes anyone and have any dance ability.”

For Mehta and Basnayake, Bollyfusion is an amalgamation of different cultures, so it’s not Bollywood dance songs or style per se. “We look at songs with lyrics or vibes that allow us to just move and feel confident in,” Mehta said

The duo is anticipating an exciting summer, bringing the dance community together, where people can find their sense of belonging and make meaningful connections With a strong summer lineup, expect to groove with them at multiple events in and around MetroVancouver including the free 5x Fest Blockparty in Surrey on June 17, the South Asian Family Festival at the PNE on June 18 and BollyFusion BeachWorkshops on Sunset Beach on July 27.

In July, they are hoping to host free workshops in Burnaby for anyone to drop by and groove to the music. Follow them on Instagram for more details.