‘Magical experience’: Peterborough Bengali dancers feature in this year’s Marks and Spencer Christmas advert

The Peterborough Ritu Ranga Bengali dancers feature in this year's M&S Christmas clothing advert

The 2022 M&S Christmas advert premiers on November 4.

A group of Bengali dancers from Peterborough will feature in this year’s Marks & Spencer Christmas clothing advert, which they described as a “proud” and “magical experience.”

Ritu Ranga is an all female-founded dance troupe united by their love of dance and comprises of about 70 families from the Indian-Bengali community.

Started by women who moved to the UK from different parts of India, the troupe’s name means “Colours of Seasons”.

The Ritu Ranga Bengali dancers at Peterborough Town Hall: (from left to right) Monisha Roberts, Priyanka Dutta, Moumita Bhattacharyya, Sharmistha Chatterjee, Anamika Ghosh, Amrita Chakraborty.

It brings together both older and younger members.

The advert, which is centred around diversity and community and was filmed across two days in August earlier this year, will premier in the UK on Friday (November 4).

“It was a proud moment and a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us,” Anamika Ghosh, a Ritu Rangs dancer, told the Peterborough Telegraph.

"We felt like movie stars. We travelled from Peterborough to London and there was a film crew waiting for us.

The Peterborough Ritu Ranga Bengali dancers.

"They took us to the set where we had our make-up done by a professional team of make-up artists. We were all in our costumes and there were rehearsals before we started filming.

“Being on the film set was a magical experience.”

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Formed in 2018, the Ritu Ranga group celebrates all forms of Bengali dance and is part of the Bengali Sanskriti Club, based in Gladstone Park Community Centre, in Bourges Boulevard

"We all came together for the love of the art,” Anamika added.

"Most of our dancers are trained dancers, but some had never been trained and learned to become natural dancers through joining the group.

"It’s not just about the dance – it’s about being able to socialise and meet as women.

“The synergy of the group is such that it keeps us going.”

The 2022 campaign brings-to-life how a gift given from M&S this Christmas will keep on giving, with the retailer donating £1 million to 1,000 community groups through Neighbourly.

Neighbourly and M&S identified the 1000 community groups who will receive funding and shortlisting nine to feature in the TV campaign.

Anamika Ghosh added: “While dance is our focus, we also regularly organise lunch clubs, picnics, festival celebrations and yoga courses, and the donation from M&S will help us to continue providing these opportunities.”