Members of the University and Baton Rouge community gathered Friday in the Gym Auditorium for a night of classical Indian dance. The India Student Association, a campus organization, and the Association for India’s Development, a Baton Rouge nonprofit volunteer organization, hosted the event. The money raised will be used to support a variety of Indian developmental projects. Two veteran dancers performed Indian dance classics using bells on their ankles and intricate hand gestures. The event was called Natya, which is an all-encompassing word used for Indian classical dances. The presentation began with the singing of an Indian prayer song, and the dancers took turns showcasing their distinct styles. Vyjayanthi Kashi danced the Kuchipudi, which is the classical style. Kashi walked to the podium and explained the meaning behind her dances before beginning them. The movements of this dance were quick and flowing. Kashi founded the Shambhavi School of Dance in India in 1993 and serves on the Arts and Cultural Committee of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in India. Uma Dogra, who founded the Sam Ved Society for Performing Arts in India in 1990, danced the Kathak. This is a style from north India that blends Hindu and Islamic traditions. It features faster, more intricate footwork than Kuchipudi. Dogra often went to the microphone that was placed on the floor and did movements that resembled a tap dance, causing the bells wrapped around her ankles to jangle in time with the music. The Indian dances commonly have religious connotations and are used to tell stories. “They are dancing for the gods,” said Praveen Modunuri, treasurer of the India Student Association. Phani Mylavarapu, the president of the Association for India’s Development, said that there are seven distinct styles of Indian dance that are regional in nature, with four of them originating in Southern India and three of them from the Northern part of the country. “India is a wonderful country,” Mylavarapu said. “We want to help get it over third world status.”
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