Batman isn’t known for his multicultural awareness, but that didn’t stop a University of Wisconsin student group from using him as a loose basis for an awesome event. Some would even go so far as to say that the largest multicultural event on campus is in fact India Night (or “India Knight,” as this year was dubbed in reference to the caped crusader), an event sponsored and produced by the India Student Association. A diverse group of students performed a variety of cultural dance and music to a tightly packed Memorial Union Theater Friday.
The show highlighted several facets of Indian culture, most notably the dance and music, the former of which showcases the intricacies of Indian culture through emphatic gestures and steps.
Each dance or song was introduced via short sketches performed by ISA Board members Mohammad Shah and Neil Sharma, whose continuous and meandering drama shared the dangers of roommate love triangles (with the lovely Manju Gupta doubling as a curry salesman) and the incessantly nagging good intentions of a well-to-do Indian mother. The show kicked off with a singing of the Indian national anthem, followed quickly by opening remarks from the ISA. Next was a Kathak dance featuring a small drum circle and classically inspired Indian vocal talent. Costumes, percussive instruments and expressive hand gestures were all presented to exude an authentic feel, which brought the whole night together and added a real sense of cohesion.
The hip-hop performance was one of the highlights of the show before intermission. The dancers hit the floor in style by combining Indian style with modern hip-hop steps and rhythm, creating an unforgettable performance that reflects a great deal on the atmosphere of India Night. At its core, the dance was a hip-hop performance. This dance piece both emphasized the multicultural awareness of India Night and blew the crowd away. People were screaming. A lot.
After intermission, the drama sketches of Shah and Sharma developed further, and the acts progressively showcased even greater choreographic focus with more people involved in increasingly epic dancing. The two performances that stood out the most were the Bollywood dance, entitled “Dance Pe Chance Maarle,” and a Bhangra dance continuing the superhero theme with many references to X-Men. The latter involved about 14 people and the former showed off the talents of almost twice as many dancers. The Bollywood dance conveyed a tension between new and old, but in the end showed how they could coexist in peaceful harmony. This was accomplished through a bad dancer that experienced many styles of dancing in Bollywood films, only to fall back on his old, bad dancing in the end with positive results.
The only qualm one could have about the night regarded the video clips interspersed throughout the show. Amateur productions should perhaps be allowed a bit of room for error, but an inclusion of video entertainment in a primary live event should advance the understanding of the pieces it complements. This was unfortunately not the case with many of the video portions of the night, and, due to poor sound quality, ended up detracting and confusing more than contributing.
Though some aspects of the show went off with a hitch, the event itself was a resounding success. India Night drew a huge crowd, and for good reason. The performances were absolutely worth seeing, and it is in the interest of the ethnic student population on this campus to continue to support such efforts in assembling cultural celebrations that are as well-produced as this one. Hopefully, other student organizations will take a cue from the ISA and give India Night some competition. However, until then, let the powers of Bhangra flow through the campus and sustain UW.
