The lights dimmed as the dancers walked into the McLeod Hall auditorium, bells jingling around their ankles. Their eyes were thickly lined in black, their lips painted red and their hands and feet decorated with henna. The dancers wore vivid, gilded sari-style outfits of blue, green, purple and orange.
Drumbeats pounded and graceful hands fluttered through the air at the classical Indian dance program, hosted by the Hindu Students Council. The program included performances by dancers from two Northern Virginia Indian performing arts schools, Rupa Nartan and Kalamandapam, as well as three University students.
The program gave an entertaining and enlightening portrayal of traditional Indian music and dance, as classical Indian culture remains obscure to many Americans despite a growing interest in modern India.
Over the past several years, Bhangra, a style of dance rooted in the classical tradition, has become an international favorite for its fusion of thumping pop, techno and traditional northern Indian music. Bhangra dance fitness videos have gained an enthusiastic following. Hip hop artist Panjabi MC's hit "Beware of the Boys" has been featured in numerous television shows and movies. Millions have viewed the music videos of Prabhu Deva, who is known as "India's Michael Jackson," on YouTube.
First-year College student Norhan Fillo, who attended the program, said she was only somewhat familiar with modern Indian dance prior to attending the event.
"The extent of my knowledge about Indian dancing comes from 'Bride and Prejudice' and 'Bend it Like Beckham,'" she said.
Emcees described this program's traditional, classical Indian dancing as both energetic and elegant, combining quick movements and sweeping gestures to narrate ancient Hindu stories. The dance is performed to rhythmic drum beating and pulsing traditional chants. Dancers are expressive, using their bodies and faces to tell a story.
According to the Kalamandapam Art Academy Web site, the style of Indian dance now referred to as "classical" originates from the Natya Shastra, an Indian text written 2,000 years ago and believed to be divinely inspired.
Written in Sanskrit, the text outlines theories of performing arts and has a title that translates to "The Textbook on Drama."
Unlike modern dance, classical dancing maintains a strongly religious focus; Hindus believe art is an expression of the divine in man.
Sruti Cheedalla, fourth-year College student and Hindu Students Council officer, said she organized the event to share this classical style of dance with the University community.
"This is my last semester of college," Cheedalla said. "I wanted to give us a chance to show other people what we've been working on."
Cheedalla said the University dancers, second-year Engineering student Vinu Ilakkuvan, second-year College student Meenakshi Giri and first-year College student Thushara Gunda, practiced three to four hours every weekend leading up to the event and had years of prior dancing experience. The University students performed alongside middle school and high school students from the two performing arts schools.
There are eight forms of classical Indian dance, according to Cheedalla, and three were performed at the program: Kuchipudi, Kathak and Bharatanatyam.
According to Cheedalla, Kuchipudi originates from southern India and combines elements of drama and ballet. The costumes are bright and the dance is energetic as dancers stomp and twist their arms to the beat of the drum.
Kathak comes from northern India and is characterized by fast spins and quick footwork, Cheedalla said. The Kathak dancers wore blue and silver skirts that fluttered as they twirled.
Bharatanatyam, according to Cheedalla, is the oldest form of Indian dance. The dancer alternates between graceful movements and assertive stomping, conveying emotion through hand movements and facial expressions. Bharatanatyam is a difficult dance performed only by those who have mastered the expressive gestures required by the narrative dance.
For many Hindu students, classical Indian dancing provides a connection to their heritage that they would otherwise lack in everyday life.
"In Northern Virginia, a lot of people's families have emigrated from India," Cheedalla said. "Growing up in the U.S., we're trying to connect to something from where our families are from."
Cheedalla added that dance has taught her more than fancy footwork.
"When I learned dance, I learned so much about Hinduism," Cheedalla said. "I learned what Hinduism means, Sanskrit words ... I could understand what [the songs] were saying."
Hindu Students Council found another way to maintain their connection to India: According to the program's emcees, all proceeds were donated to the charity Ekal Vidyalaya, a foundation devoted to eliminating illiteracy in rural India.
"Education is so important," Cheedalla said. "What they do with the money we give them is develop a small school and train local teachers. It's a grassroots organization.[They build] schools for kids who usually don't have good teachers or resources. We give them something they couldn't have otherwise."
Giri said she believes University students do not know a lot about classical Indian dance.
"I think that most people are more exposed to Indian popular culture," Giri said. "This is something that is traditional."
She added that she is supportive of recent interest in Bhangra, "as long as [people] realize that it's a culture, and not just a fitness video."
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