Belarus troupe a hit among visitors

The Rajasthani folk singers and the qawwals are here. So are artistes from all over India to showcase their talent at one of the biggest platforms available in the country.

The Rajasthani folk singers and the qawwals are here. So are artistes from all over India to showcase their talent at one of the biggest platforms available in the country.

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But it is a six-member eastern European folk troupe performing in front of the Belarus pavilion that is stealing the show at the 32nd India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan. Visitors at the foreign pavilion are joining them to shake a leg and posing with them to take home snapshots as memorabilia.

Since the gates opened on Thursday and visitors started trickling in, Hall 18 became a favourite haunt for shoppers who turned into spectators within moments of the start of the music and dance routine. Even the security personnel became part of the crowd and watched the spectacular performance.

Twelve-year-old Anne Mary, who had come to the fair with her parents and a neighbourhood friend, Vishnu Anil Kumar, 11, was thrilled to be able to dance to the tunes of a foreign-yet-friendly music and then get her picture taken with one of the performers.

“I really liked the music and felt really good when we danced with them. I'll treasure this picture,” she said.

The two men — Artsiom Khatsimka and Lasif Netsirovich —and the four ladies —Alena Lurykava, Kalsiaryna Miadzvedzeva, Nadia Rebka and Malina Nestsiarovich —hail from the city of Minsk and are members of Ternitsa Folk Group. Most of them are employees of the Belarusian railways, while Nadia and Alena are students pursuing their masters in arts.

“I am loving this place. The crowd is nice and the weather is pleasant. I was really looking forward to the fair and its better than what I expected,” Artsiom said.

Brought under the aegis of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce, the group came to Delhi on Monday after performing in Dhaka at a bilateral inter-government forum.