Krishay Nadan photo suppliedKrishay Nadan is aiming to impress judges with his Bollywood-inspired dance moves and hip hop attitude when he performs at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Los Angeles, USA later this year.

The Ashburton College Year 11 student qualified for WCOPA late last year alongside three other performers from Mid Canterbury – Ocean Waitokia, 14, Tilly Smith, 17, and Liam Pram, 15.

The global competition is considered to be the olympics of the performance arts world.

Krishay will perform his moves in four categories; hip hop, lyrical, ethnic and open.

The talented dancer, who is Fijian born, is self taught and has no dancers in the family to call upon for advice.

“I watch a lot of Bollywood movies and just make up and practise my own routines,” he said.

Krishay and his parents will become New Zealand citizens tomorrow and have lived here for 10 years.

He claimed his first performance trophy while a student at Ashburton Intermediate.

In his first year at college he was second in a dance competition and followed that up with a lip sync win last year.

Krishay said he was both nervous and excited by the prospect of performing in Los Angeles.

“I’ve performed at Indian Diwali celebrations both here and in Timaru before and also at the recent Multi Cultural Bite, but dancing in front of judges in the USA will be a whole different matter.”

Krishay will wear traditional Indian style kurta pyjamas for some of his performances and regular street wear for others.

He needs to raise close to $7000 for the 17 day trip and has set up a page on Facebook to support his effort (Give a little for Krishay).

Financial support had also been generously given by family members here and overseas in Fiji and also from local service clubs.

Proceeds from the Fijian Indian food stall at the Multi Cultural Bite event, from sausage sizzles and from future fudge sales would also help support his dream, said Krishay.

“I’d loved to win a scholarship from the LA trip and to be a professional dancer one day.”

As well as very proud parents, Krishay Nadan also has two younger siblings, Kevish, 6, and Krishant, 4, who are watching their brother’s moves in awe and cheering him on.

By Mick Jensen © The Ashburton Courier - 2 March 2017