Columbia University’s (CU) oldest South Asian dance team, Columbia Taal, hosted its 22nd annual showcase, Naach Nation, recently. The event saw participation from CU’s South Asian dance groups, and several teams from colleges nationwide arrived at the CU campus to exhibit the diversity of South Asian dance.
Performances by Columbia Bhangra, Columbia Raas, Jhoom Dynamix (Rutgers University), Zinda (Johns Hopkins University), Josh (Johns Hopkins University), Dheem (Boston University), and three performances from Taal were part of the showcase. All proceeds from the event were donated to South Asian SOAR, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting gender-based violence in the South Asian diaspora.
The showcase commenced with a performance by nine seniors from Taal, presenting a captivating Bharatnatyam and Kathak piece set to Beyonce’s ‘Alien Superstar’. Following this, Columbia Bhangra took the stage, earning enthusiastic cheers and applause from the crowd, as reported.
Jhoom Dynamix, the leading fusion dance team from Rutgers, took the stage as the inaugural visiting team at the showcase. Their performance featured a captivating blend of Bollywood, Bharatnatyam, hip-hop, and various other Indian dance styles. Following them, Zinda, Johns Hopkins' Bollywood fusion dance team, delivered a high-energy performance seamlessly combining diverse dance styles with a fusion of Indian and Western music.
Columbia Raas closed the first half of the event with a retelling of Dr. Seuss's story through their signature Gujarati folk dance choreography.
After a short intermission, Taal’s freshmen, sophomores, and juniors performed a classical dance piece, followed by several other performances from the visiting teams, including a Dora the Explorer-themed set by the Johns Hopkins’ fusion team, Josh., in which Dora and Boots travelled through different regions in India, teaching the audience the respective dance styles from different parts of India.
To close the event, the full Taal team performed a 13-minute piece to a mix of old Hindi evergreen classics like ‘Taal Se Taal Mila’ to newer hits. The showcase was followed by an indo-western-themed after party.
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