Evangeline Kumar dances with her heart. With every choreography she learnt, she gave it her all and this is evident when you watch her during classes and shows.
Passionate about telling stories through body movement, the 24-year-old first performed in kindergarten.
This allowed her to experience the adrenaline and fun that dancing brought. As a result, her dance passion stuck with her throughout primary school and high school, when she took part in the annual Tadra Kahani competition
. Evangeline who is a Fijian of Indian descent has been with the VOU Dance Group for more than six years.
She represented Fiji in 2017 at the International Expo in Kazakstan where she stayed for six weeks performing Fijian cultural dances at the Pacific pavilion.
In 2018, she was part of the cast that travelled to Australia to perform in the full-length production ‘Veiqia 21’ for the women of the world festival in Brisbane.
Evangeline also performed in “melt, sink, disappear” which was a climate-change themed piece performed in the ocean and commissioned to be a part of the Bleach Festival at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
She graduated with a Diploma in Dance from the Conservatorium of Dance, Fiji in 2020 and is known to be a very experienced dancer with VOU. She has travelled the world and has been a great example of professionalism for those dancers aspiring to work in the dance industry.
Like other dancers, her journey had challenges, and achievements and her latest one would be successfully completing an intensive dance training at the Broadway Dance Centre in New York. “It was nice learning from different choreographers,” she said.
“They all had their own unique styles, ways of movement and ways of teaching.
“I also had the opportunity to learn different genres like jazz funk, hip-hip and commercial jazz.” Prior to her departure, she felt nervous about dancing alongside fellow professionals and learning from internationally recognised choreographers.
“I couldn’t wait though to participate in the program, under the tutelage of Maleek Washington, a native New Yorker from the Bronx and a distinguished performer, choreographer, and teaching artist.
“This broadened my understanding of contemporary dance and deepened my appreciation for this exquisite form of art.”
Evangeline has been an exceptional performer throughout her career. With her remarkable talent and commitment, she has taken on numerous lead roles in VOU’s premiere productions, including the captivating character “Lagi” in the internationally acclaimed “Fiji Untold” production, which was showcased in Europe and the Glastonbury Festival in the UK.
She encourages all young individuals with a passion for dance to fearlessly take the next step forward and pursue their dreams.
“I have learnt to be human first and move like no one is watching you. I have also learnt to breathe through every movement.”
