By Angela Lee

Dancing is life for Adalat Omar.

But that “life” almost came to an end when the classically-trained dancer left her native China and moved to Canada five years ago.

Unable to say much in English beyond “yes,” “no,” “thank you,” and “goodbye”, Adalat didn’t know where to begin to find an outlet for her art – the traditional Uyghur dance of the Turkic peoples in China’s northwestern Xin Jiang region.

While her immigrant friends took menial jobs to make ends meet, Adalat – who now goes by the name “Ada” – wanted only to dance.

A rigorous training

When Ada was 10, a talent scout came to her school in China and began plucking this child and that for the national arts institute. Ada was taken away from her home and family, and until she graduated from the institute at the age of 16, was only allowed to return home twice a year.

“It was a huge institute,” recalls Ada. “There were over a thousand students – actors, musicians, artists, dancers, singers and circus [acrobats].”

Roll call was at 6am, followed by morning exercises, breakfast, two hours of ballet training, and two hours of training in traditional dance. Afternoons were devoted to subjects like math, science and reading.

“I was young, and I was happy,” says Ada. “I got to dance every day.” After graduation, Ada joined the National Dance Music and Song Ensemble and headed to Beijing, where she began her professional dance career.

From the theatre to a restaurant

Ada married a musician, who is also Uyghur, and the two moved to Canada. While her husband worked, Ada stayed at home with her in-laws – and it wasn’t long before she began to miss dancing. One night, the two checked out the bellydancing at Mona’s Lebanese restaurant on Hornby.

As soon as the proprietors saw Ada dance, they hired her on the spot, mesmerized by her style. Though Ada says the two dance styles are polar opposites – Uyghur done through the hands, which tell of village life – she feels the two share the same joyous outlook on life.

Vancouver audiences will get a rare chance to see Ada perform Uyghur this Sunday only, as part of Dance Allsorts’ Sunday series at the Roundhouse. Ada bellydancing teacher Rahma Haddad will showcase different bellydancing styles, and then Adad will take the stage on her own, in Uyghur dress.

Dance Allsorts’ 10th Season Series is held every Sunday at 2pm & 4pm at Roundhouse Community Ctr (Davie and Pacific). Tix by donation (2pm show); $10/4 (4pm show). Info: www.newworks.caor 604-893-8875.