By Jose Gonzalez
Five University of Maryland College Park’s performing groups took to the stage in Hoff Theatre at Adele H. Stamp Student Union to showcase their South Indian Culture in a mixture of dance, song and instrumentals on Nov. 6.
UMD Moksha, the university’s premier competitive Indian classical dance team, helped organize the event, according to co-captains Malavika Kattuparambil and Smitri Arava. The group hosts an annual fall showcase that brings together South Asian groups and cultures, the co-captains wrote in an email to Stories Beneath the Shell.
This year’s performance was called “Swaranjali: A Tribute to South Indian Artistry.” The five groups, UMD Moksha, Anokha, Maryland Dhoom, Maryland Manzar and Maryland Malhar, performed to Indian classical music and various fusion dances, with Maryland Mayuri working on managing tech and lighting.
According to Kattuparambil and Arava, each group choreographed their own performances.
“We were honored to be able to bring together the South Asian community to represent our culture,” Kattuparambil and Arava, both senior neuroscience majors, said in a statement to SBS. “Moksha specifically prides itself in having all of its members be a part of the choreography process.”
The performance began with the singing of the American and Indian national anthems, performed by Anokha members.
UMD Moksha performed first and danced to a “mix of songs” from different parts of India to celebrate the country’s diversity. Anokha, the university’s premier South Asian a cappella group, performed two award-winning arrangements from previous competitions.
The show also featured solo performances from students. Freshman aerospace engineering student Pranjal Jha performed the song “Garaj Garaj” . Then, Maryland Dhoom, a co-ed South Asian fusion dance team, performed to songs blending different genres, such as Bollywood and contemporary hip-hop.
The event was in collaboration with Classroom for Change, an educational grassroots organization based at UMD. Midway through the show, Classroom for Change founder Rose Cherussery spoke about collaborating with UMD Moksha.
“I am overjoyed to celebrate our South Asian culture in our community with all of you tonight, and to see the richness and beauty of our culture on full display,” Cherussery, a graduate instructor and researcher at this university’s education college, said.
Cherussery, who was born to South Indian immigrants, said cultural events like Swaranjali “made the difference” for her growing up and now her children.
“To the organizers and performers tonight, I hope you fully realize the importance of this annual event,” she added.
After the show’s intermission, Maryland Malhar, an organization dedicated to promoting classical Indian music, performed a classic composition with vocal and instrumental music.
Two solo performances followed, with graduate public health student Apeksha Adhikari, representing the university’s Nepali Graduate Students Association, performing slow ballets inspired by the Nepali film Lalibazar and freshman bioengineering student Vaishnavi Bhattaram dancing to Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance which Bhattaram has been learning for 14 years.
Maryland Manzar, a South Asian fusion dance team, performed last, capping the night with four performances blending different styles, all choreographed by their members.
Sophomore aerospace engineering major Aryan Manian, a performer with Maryland Dhoom, said he liked seeing all the different groups come together.
“The event was very good,” Manian said. “There are a lot of talented people here … I just love seeing how talented the people are.”
Leo Sotomayor, an automotive technology student at Montgomery College, attended the event to support a friend at Maryland Manzar and said he was shocked by the performances.
“I have never seen any South Asian dancing, and it was just very cool to see the culture, and to see it just like in public like that, and you get to just see it. It’s amazing,” Sotomayor said.
Kattuparambil and Arava said they are both happy to carry on the UMD Moksha tradition of hosting an event each Fall.
“There aren’t many chances for all of us to come together and perform our talents at UMD so we wanted to create one,” Kattuparambil and Arava said in an email. “This event allows for the South Asian community to come together and showcase our culture while supporting a cause we are passionate about.”
Featured Image: UMD Moksha performs Indian classical dance on Nov. 6. Photo by Josh Hananel.