Diwali dancers in Leeds are learning new moves to mark a festival

During rehearsals at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, dance teacher Jyoti Manral said: “We take mythological stories, different chapters and then we express ourselves through our bodies.

“This time of year we are learning a Diwali dance and today we are going to do a dance with diyas (small lamps) in hand.

“We decorate our homes with diyas and it means we light up our lives and welcome happiness.”

Jyoti has not celebrated Diwali with her family back home in India for a decade, but said teaching at SAA-uk gave her a sense of belonging.

“We celebrate Diwali, we dance together, we laugh together… so I feel very happy here.”