Nayan Rai - Darjeeling’s first male belly dancer selected for ‘DID’ 2nd round audition

Darjeeling’s first male belly dancer Nayan Rai has been selected for second round audition of Dance India Dance season 5 to be held in Kolkata on April 27.
The 22-year-old from Mirik, has been on local tabloids several times earlier.
Nayan who is also a 2nd year student of Mirik Degree College, with an aim to make a career in belly-dancing has chosen the ‘DID’ stage. “I am happy that I was successful in impressing the judges on the 1st day audition held in Siliguri. I am now preparing for the Kolkata auditions, and hope to get a clean entry to the competition. I don’t worry about what people or my fellow counterparts have to say about my choice of dance-form. I will keep dancing, for my masculinity is not hurt,” said the elated dancer.
Born to Biddhay and Maya Rai from Mirik, Nayan started to belly dance since he was in class VIII when one day while watching TV, he came across the music video ‘Hips don’t lie’ by Shakira which left him spellbound. After that day, his life took a U-turn, and there’s no turning back for him now, says Nayan. (HS)