TGLife
Cohiba, one of the most happenings place in Goa will be kick-starting the three-day dance event on October 4 making dance, music and party lovers to looking forward for the fourth edition of the Goa International Dance Congress (GIDC), one of the most popular annual events conducted by Rocky Poonawala’s Dance School in every October in Goa. The three-day dance event filled with extreme fun and enormous learning, GIDC season 4, is happening on October 5, 6 and 7.
The first and the biggest night party in this three-day event will begin from Cohiba where Latin dance schools will be coming from across the globe to Goa to teach and learn Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba. The entire event is beautifully segmented from morning till evening followed by after parties. The workshop series during the mornings and afternoons will include progressive learning in various Latin dance forms (like Salsa, Bachata etc), partner work and musicality. There would also be the lovely Indian dance form Bhangda.
“Cohiba has been supporting Latin dancing for the last couple of years and I think this is a great platform for young talent to be showcased,” states Greg Furtado, founder, Cohiba. A place for music, food and happenings, Cohiba has been supporting artists and performers. The Saturday evening is booked for a pool party that will include dance by the pool side with fairly loud music and also includes fun filled impromptus. The party will begin evening onwards and will include mesmerising sundowners at different locations, the first and biggest being at Cohiba.
“There have been many nights in Goa for Salsa but this is the first festival which is going to have a lot of dancing with the best dancers from all over India and the most prominent personalities will be there to dance and that’s what I am looking forward to,” states Rocky Poonawala, founder and director of Rocky Poonawala’s Entertainment Pvt Ltd. It will be a great show stealer. One of the nights includes amazing food and wine. There would be many workshops with a lot of learning and fun, great parties, sundowners, pool parties along with amazing food and wine during the entire event.
“Connection in dance is not only with the partner but with yourself and the music. Be honest to this feeling and connection,” advices Rocky who runs one of the most recognised dance schools and companies in India promoting Latin American ballroom and Salsa dancing on a global level, has been teaching for 16 years and boasts to have trained more than 40,000 students in India and abroad.
Rocky has performed Salsa, Bachata and Latin American routines extensively with his team in Hong Kong, Singapore, Berlin and Dubai. Rocky is trained in styles like Cha-cha, Jive, Rumba, Samba, Paso doble and Waltz as well as Slow foxtrot in UK with Marion Lane from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. He is trained in Mambo and Salsa with the legendary Eddie Torres, Frankie Martinez, and Franklin Diaz and at the Yamuleé Dance Company in New York, Tap Dancing from the Broadway Dance Centre, UK and is certified with Edie, The Salsa FREAK in Denver, US for Salsa. Also trained and certified with Miriam and Leonardo, choreographers of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ for Argentine Tango in Los Angeles, Rocky has acquired expertise in Kathak too.
Rocky is organiser of one of the biggest dance congresses across the world - Pune International Dance Congress, which is now the longest running Latin festival in India. He is also the organiser of Goa International Dance Congress which is the best Latin dance vacation happening in India.
“Recently I taught Salsa to the CEO of BMC software and CYBAGE Software,” he adds. Rocky has directed and choreographed Jaspal and Savita Bhatti in Nach Baliye 4 and was choreographer for Malaika Arora Khan’s performance at Pune Festival 2008. As a choreographer he has Hindi film Raghu Romeo and Punjabi film Power Cut too.
“As a choreographer for Hindi film ‘Simmi’ it was fun choreographing Tom Alter and get him to dance for the very first time,” recalls Rocky who has worked with veteran actor-director Amol Palekar in his Marathi film “ Dum Kata. He enjoys choreographing corporate events and has played judge in dance genre events. Goa is looking forward to this series of dance nights.
