Shobna Chanel Dance School & Group
The Shobna Chanel Dance School and Group is Fiji’s main and perhaps only classical dance school. SCDSG is a classical Kathak school and troupe that specialises in Indo-iTaukei fusion dance, a first of its genre.
Founder/Choreographer Shobna Chanel is a veteran of the arts scene in Fiji, a Kathak dancer and teacher from a young age, a pioneer of styles and performance genres. Shobna performed a first for Fiji at the Mercedes Benz Design Awards in the late 90s, choreographing and performing a fusion of classical and modern dance, a precursor for what the troupe specialises in now.
Founder/Choreographer Shobna Chanel is a veteran of the arts scene in Fiji, a Kathak dancer and teacher from a young age, a pioneer of styles and performance genres. Shobna performed a first for Fiji at the Mercedes Benz Design Awards in the late 90s, choreographing and performing a fusion of classical and modern dance, a precursor for what the troupe specialises in now.
The Shobna Chanel Dance Group has represented Fiji at many international dance festivals as well as local concerts, productions and performances, using their artform to unite through unity.
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The troupe’s most senior dancer is 22yo Patricia Niumataiwalu, who has been dancing Kathak for 16 years. Although currently the only Kathak dancer of iTaukei heritage, Patricia is the future.
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The troupe’s most senior dancer is 22yo Patricia Niumataiwalu, who has been dancing Kathak for 16 years. Although currently the only Kathak dancer of iTaukei heritage, Patricia is the future.
The camaraderie between the dancers is heartwarming and it is a always a delight to listen to young people rib each other, while dressed in the traditional clothing of their artforms practise wear… close your eyes and you’re just listening to a group of girls having fun, dropping slang, laughing about their antics, wondering which movie they should all go to see (in this case they all wanted to see a horror movie, it caused much laughter amongst the troupe when this writer and their teacher recounted what used to scare us back then).
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