London: Lambadi dance, one of the most popular tribal dances of South India, formed part of colourful presentations at the Tribal India fest in London. It was organized by Red Lotus Events in association with Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Nehru Centre, High Commission of India etc.
The three-day event had some of the interesting tribal dances of Odisha, Gujarat, Assam and other states showcased, apart from handicrafts and other attributes displayed at various stalls.
Lambadi dance was choreographed by Hyderabad-born Ragasudha Vinjamuri, who runs Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence in the UK.
The centre holds the distinction of presenting and promoting different folk/tribal dance forms of India in the UK and was the first to showcase Lambadi dance in the UK in 2012 at a cultural show at the Nehru Centre, the cultural wing of High Commission of India. Sanskruti has also presented Koli dance of Maharashtra recently at Oxford Cowley Road Carnival, the first time in 17 years of Carnival history.
It is noteworthy that the participants in the Lambadi dance Mona Jethwa Patel, Pritidipa Barua, Rashmi Lakhapate, Reena Chaudhari and Suvarchala Madireddy have varied backgrounds (of Gujarati, Bengali, Maharashtrian and Rajasthani origins) and have enthusiastically learned the dance for its vibrancy and captivating movements.