Where every body dances
Shoonya Dance Centre is a home for 25 dance styles under one roof in Ghent. We welcome every background, every body, every level — because dance connects what words cannot.
Why Shoonya?
Sanskrit — "void", "zero", "the space from which everything begins"
Shoonya is a Sanskrit word that means both zero and the infinite potential it carries. In the philosophies of India and China, it points to a deeper truth: that everything in existence is interconnected, and that emptiness is not absence — it is possibility.
We chose the name because dance starts the same way. A single step. An empty floor. From that zero, complexity and meaning grow — one movement at a time, one class at a time, one connection at a time.
At Shoonya Dance Centre, we believe dance is a way to tap into that interconnectedness — to explore parts of the human experience that words cannot reach. The name is both a beginning and a reminder: even the most intricate choreography is built on simple, honest steps.
Built on three beliefs
Diversity is the repertoire
25 styles from Bollywood to Ballet, Tango to Tap, Flamenco to Burlesque. We don't teach one tradition — we celebrate the full spectrum of movement, under one roof, side by side.
Everyone belongs
Every background, orientation, shape, and experience level. Our classes are designed so that beginners feel welcome and advanced dancers stay challenged — in the same community.
Growth through community
Dance is personal, but it doesn't happen alone. We invest in teachers, spaces, and shared experiences — from weekly classes to festivals — so that every step forward is taken together.
Two paths, one vision
Swapnil Dagliya
Artistic Director & Co-founderBorn in Pune, India — near Mumbai, the heart of Bollywood — Swapnil blends his Indian roots with training in ballet, jazz, modern, and contemporary dance. He co-founded Shoonya in 2015 to make the world's dance traditions accessible in one place.
Full bio
Swapnil holds a diploma in Indian folk dance and is a certified Learn Bhangra® instructor, with deep expertise in Garba, Ghoomar, Kalbeliya, and other folk traditions from across India. He graduated from Broadway Dance Center in New York and completed advanced training at Opus Ballet in Florence, Italy.
From 2008 to 2018, he directed his own school in India — SPACE (Swapnil's Performing Arts & Contemporary Ensemble) — and taught dance and theory at the University of Pune and Flame University. His movement journey started in childhood through yoga, guided by his grandmother, a student of B.K.S. Iyengar. He completed his yoga teacher training in Pune in 2011.
Now based in Belgium, Swapnil teaches six styles at Shoonya, leads ABC a Bollywood Company, and curates the annual Gent India Dans Festival.
Wim Boussery
Co-founder & DirectorWim discovered salsa in the late 1980s, at a time when the dance style was still largely unknown in Belgium and rapidly evolving worldwide. Driven by curiosity and passion, he trained extensively with a wide range of teachers, both nationally and internationally. He began teaching salsa in 1999, and by 2004, dance became his full-time profession. In 2015, he co-founded Shoonya Dance Centre, contributing significantly to its vision and growth.
More
In 2025, as the dance centre continued to expand, Wim stepped back from active teaching. He remains actively involved behind the scenes, contributing to the organisation, development, and long-term direction of Shoonya Dance Centre.
Your first class is free
Walk in during an Open Door Day or the first week of the semester. No registration, no commitment — just show up.