The Workshops
One tradition, one teacher—master artists from across India, taught hands-on across the weekend.
Every spring · Ghent, Belgium
Gent IndiaDans Festival
Three days of Indian dance in Ghent.
Workshops, a gala showcase and an opening party.
The next edition
Edition Five.
7—9 May 2027
Until we dance again. Faculty, the day-by-day programme and tickets will be announced as Edition Five takes shape.
Curated by Swapnil Dagliya · Organised by ABC a bollywood company · Hosted at Shoonya Dance Centre, Ghent.
What is GIDF
Indian dance is
not one thing.
It is Kalbeliya from the desert of Rajasthan. Chhau from Odisha. Lavani from Maharashtra. Kuthu from Tamil Nadu. Giddha from Punjab—each with its own history, community and way of moving through the world.
Every spring, GIDF brings these traditions to Ghent—not as performance alone, but as experience. You learn from teachers who carry the forms, watch them on stage and celebrate together into the night.
Three days. Master teachers from across India. One curious city.
What to expect
Three days.
Many ways in.
Every edition is built from the same parts: workshops by day, a gala by night and a party to open it all.
The Gala Showcase
A seated theatrical evening on the Shoonya stage with faculty, guest artists and ABC together.
The Opening Party
A community class, live music, performances and a DJ until late—the night it all begins.
The Artists
The teachers and performers who carry their traditions to the GIDF floor and wider European scene.
The Gala Showcase
The stage,
in motion.
The gala showcase: guest artists, students and ABC on one stage. Twelve performances from four editions, 2023 to 2026.
-
RajasthaniColleena Shakti · GIDF 2026
-
KathakVanisha · GIDF 2024
-
SoloShreyashee Nag · GIDF 2023
-
Madhuri MedleyBollywood students & ABC · GIDF 2026
-
SoloShampa Gopikrishna · GIDF 2025
-
SoloGirish Kumar · GIDF 2023
-
BhangraBhangra students · GIDF 2026
-
SoloJulien · GIDF 2024
-
SoloJana Jayanti · GIDF 2023
-
GhoomarBollyfolk students · GIDF 2026
-
Semi-classicalABC · GIDF 2026
-
Grand FinaleGIDF 2026
The small traditions
What makes GIDF
feel like GIDF.
- Rise & RiyaazA short morning practice to begin grounded, together.
- Spill the ChaiThe mid-session pause—chai, reflection and conversation.
- One Last GupshupThe final circle: stories, questions, goodbyes and one last laugh.
On the floor · On the stage
On the floor.
On the stage.
Festival photography · Stijn Dejonckheere · Michael Backaert · Jan Vens
Past editions
Four editions
so far.
Ghent’s annual festival of Indian dance since 2023—workshops, showcases, an opening party and a community that keeps returning.
Eight teachers. Eight traditions.
From Bharatanatyam to BollyHop, from Punjab’s Bhangra to North India’s Kathak: the first edition made the proposition clear—Indian dance in its breadth, not narrowed to one school.
Kathakali enters the programme.
A precision form rarely taught in Belgium joined the line-up. The festival aimed deeper, not only wider, and learned its first lessons in international logistics.
A Friday for the city.
The first community class opened GIDF to new people. The class stayed, the competitions did not, and Shampa—kept away by a visa the year before—finally taught.
Live music. Sold-out gala. Seven traditions.
Tabla entered the workshop floor, a live band opened the party and a new four-hour deep-dive format gave one tradition more time to breathe.
“Thoughtful, grounded and honest. Not rushed. Not reduced to trends.”
Swapnil Dagliya · Festival curator
Edition Five
7–9 May 2027.
Ghent.
Faculty, programme and tickets are announced on the GIDF Instagram first.