On February 3, The University of Georgia (UGA) held India Night, an event dedicated to spreading the culture of India in the form of a dance competition. This competition is in affiliation with the Desi Dance Network (DDN), which takes high-ranking dance teams and hosts the final Legends Dance Competition.
Many dance teams from other states came to compete at this competition, along with showcases from the UGA groups. Students from Lambert and other high-schoolers came to this competition to get a taste of UGA college life. Many members of the audience consisted of other college students and people generally interested in dance.
“I have done Bharatanatyam since I was four,” Senior Nayan Annadurai explained. “I also plan on trying out for some of the teams that performed next year when I attend college. I have many friends on the teams as well that I was supporting.”
Amidst all the highly talented teams, first place at this competition was GT Qurbani, Georgia Tech’s all-male dance team. The dances are mostly around 10 minutes long, and they consist of a captivating theme or storyline.
“My favorite performance was ATL Satrangi,” Annadurai said. “It was all girls, and it was the last performance. Their theme was the tale of Peter Pan and all the girls had so much energy.”
The dances are also a blend of different Indian styles both modern and classical, paired with hip-hop. The music often consists of fast-paced mixes made especially for the team. All of these aspects of the performance contribute to the blend of Indian dance with other cultures and are fun ways to keep the audience engaged.
“I recognized most of the English and Tamil songs,” Annadurai mentioned. The most interesting plot line to me was the ‘Matrix’ themed one, with the best props out of all the performances. It had a twist at the end as well, which hyped up the entire audience.”
UGA India Night was truly a fun-filled night for both high school and college students and provided a sense of Indian pride for students. It also introduced Desi dance teams to students and interested many in becoming a part of the DDN culture.
