Category: Dance

Having grown up in a very American household, I was quite confused by the cultural differences in the IASA Cultural Show. I enjoyed the experience though, even though I was not able to appreciate it the way my Indian friends did.

I have heard jokes about “Indian standard time” and many of my Indian friends have told me that Indians always arrive late to events, but I did not believe this stereotype until I sat in Hill Auditorium from 7pm (the supposed start time) to 7:30 with my Indian friend, Bella, wondering when the show would start. To add to that, another Indian friend texted me at 8pm and told me he just arrived. And after the 4th act, the people sitting next to me finally arrived!

The theme, Vistaara, was prevalent throughout the performance but I didn’t notice it right away. Luckily, Bella explained that the first couple of pictures in the slide show were from movies and TV shows that were popular a long time ago, and the last couple pictures were ones from more recent films. The organizers of the show did the same thing for the music, choosing a mixture of old and new songs. At that point, part of me wished I were Indian so I would catch the references!

I watched the show and admired the costumes the way a tourist looks at a famous painting, noticing the colors and sparkles and comprehending the beauty in the costume, but not understanding the culture and history embedded in the piece of art. It was the same thing with the music; I loved the rhythm and melodies but I had no idea about the meaning or the cultural implications. Most of the songs were upbeat, and I found myself bouncing in my seat wishing I could stand up and dance with the performers!

When I realized that I enjoyed bollywood and bangra the most, I began to wonder whether it was because I was the most familiar with those two forms of dance. I thought about a previous post by Laurie about what it means to appreciate music (she wrote about the Itzhak Perlman concert in September). My friend, Bella, was entranced by the different dances and she smiled whenever a new song was played, obviously recognizing the song and catching the reference to “Vistaara – a progression through time.” However, after a few minutes of watching unfamiliar dances, I started getting distracted and made faces at the little baby next to me (by the end of the show, I had taught her how to blow a kiss!). I was able to appreciate the hard work that went into the performance, but I wasn’t able to appreciate the references and allusions to the various aspects of the culture.

I truly enjoyed the show, I just felt mildly “uncultured” and wished I had watched a few more movies and listened to different songs before the show. When walking out of Hill Auditorium, I wanted to watch a Bollywood movie and practice the new dance moves I learned watching the dancers. Unfortunately, I needed to work on homework. But there’s always this weekend…

Time to break out my bangra moves!

When: November 13, 2009 7pm

Where: Hill Auditorium

Tickets: $12, $16, $20 (plus a $2 service charge) sold at MUTO, which is in the basement of the Union. For the truly lazy or last minute people, tickets can be bought online at ticketmaster.com.

Vistaara, which means progression/development in Sanskrit, is the official name of the 2009 IASA cultural show. With “time” as the theme, this performance hopes to show ways the different styles of Indian dance and culture have evolved over time. Choreographed by 22 student choreographers, the program consists of 10 different dances:

Bollywood
Gypsy
Classical
Bhangra
All Girls Progression
Raas
Fashion Show
South Indian
Mens Tribal
Village

For a detailed description of the dances, see http://www.umiasatest.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=14&Itemid=142. With 250 performers and 4,000 people in the audience, the IASA cultural show is the largest student run cultural show in America. And all of the proceeds from the show will go to Pratham, a charity devoted to eliminating illiteracy and ensuring that poor children in India receive an education.