Trail & District Arts Council presents “Body Positive Bollywood with Karima Essa” as part of the TECK Family Series on Saturday, February 11 at 3 pm.

A three-time Canadian National Dance champion, Karima Essa is Vancouver’s very own Bollywood star. An incredibly charismatic and passionate performer, choreographer and instructor, she has used her one-of-a-kind Bollywood talent to entertain diverse audiences across Canada.

Karima’s workshop-style dance show celebrates Bollywood dance as a fun, cultural art form infusing music, breathing and ideologies from the Middle East and South Asia. She encourages the audience to learn the basic elements, including signature neck and head movements, facial expressions and foot and hand movements, all to current Bollywood hits. Students of all shapes and sizes will leave inspired to accept and love themselves inside and out, on and off the dance floor!

Since age 4, Karima’s been gracing the stage in dance competitions, events and OMNI TV’s Bollywood Star reality show. When she hit puberty at 11, her body unwittingly became a blank canvas in which people could “paint” their admiration and adoration or their judgement and criticism. She grew up thinking she needed to be a “size zero” fuelled by the vanity of the Bollywood industry. However, she has finally grown to love her new, beautiful body.

“She was charismatic and funny and her show had just the right amount of watch-and-learn and follow-me!” – Lakewood Elementary School

“Karima Essa was fun, high energy and had our entire community audience engaged!” – Queensborough Community Centre
“Watching her perform inspires people from toddler to senior to join in, and Karima’s praise, levity and pure love keeps people dancing – and coming back for more.” – Kitsilano Community Centre Community

This is a 45-minute family show suitable for all ages.

Also in the Teck Family Series:

Alex Zerbe: The Zaniac on Sunday March 5, 2023. When was the last time you laughed as hard as your kids? Alex Zerbe beatboxes, juggles, dances, sings, and performs magic, as he zigzags between physical stunts and non-stop comedy. A self-described “human cartoon,” his show is both super entertaining for the kids and for teens and adults.
Tickets are $15.
Tickets on sale at thebailey.ca or by calling 250-368-9669.

The TECK Family Series is sponsored by Teck Trail Operations. With funding support from the BC Arts Council, the Government of British Columbia, the BC Touring Council and Tourism South Kootenay. This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada. / Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.