And Nigma herself has come along way from merely giving belly dancing performances to now at 40, striving to maintain its dignity. The lady is an exquisite performer of Flamenco and Middle Eastern dance. "As a child when I danced my folks wouldn't understand that what I did was belly dance because I had no references for it," she says. After learning classical ballad, gymnastics and character dance from the Palace of Culture in Polland, she moved to Spain and at an early age of six was chosen for International Festival of children, teenagers and young creators. "I stayed in Spain for 17 years as that is one place just perfect to learn the art form," she says. But that's not all, she has also got a degree in English and Spanish from Poznan in north west Poland besides being a certified music composer from Bydgoszez also in Poland.

An eternal learner, as she likes to call her self what stands out in Nigma's personality is the innate ability to attach dignity to her performance. "I can never understand why belly dancers are not given their share of respect? We don't write off other professions when a few people go wrong in it, then why do it to us," she questions. Also the fact that many times girls in precarious situations start working as belly dancers without having an iota of knowledge about the art, disturbs her. "People have started associating belly dance with club dance. Sometimes stripers pick our costumes for their act because they find it attractive . While I completely understand their situation, I would also like the world to understand the difference," she says.

This is her first trip in India and she is here to hold a two- day workshop in belly dance. She plans to introduce the basics of the dance apart from other aspects like importance of body alignment, posture, footwork and upper and lower body movements. "Though the workshop is just for two days I am here till the end of February," she says. Also laudable is her commitment to the dance that she has been practicing every day of her life. "Each day you have to make it possible for yourself. You have to sacrifice a lot which is why I chose not to marry," she says.