Vanderbilt’s Agni held its Spring 2023 showcase on April 10 at the Rothschild Black Box Theater. The event featured students performing four forms of Indian classical dance, highlighting the uniqueness of each style. Group, duet and solo performances emphasized the beauty and technicality of each form.
The showcase was held in partnership with the Vanderbilt Association for South Asian Cuisine, which offered guests with South Asian food and a presentation about the origin of each menu item.
The first dance was a group Bharatanatyam performance devoted to the Hindu god Sri Rama. The dance praised the god’s beauty, radiance and kindness to a Sanskrit bhajan — a devotional song.
The next two performances were solos showcasing the Kathak and Kuchipudi dance styles. The Kathak style involves an increased progression in tempo and is based on a 16-beat rhythm cycle. It was performed by senior Arya Narayanan. The Kuchipudi performance was an act showing Maddhugare Yashoda’s maternal love for her son, Lord Krishna, and was performed by senior Ananya Terala.
A second Bharatanatyam dance was performed as a duet by sophomore Charu Balamurugan and first-year Savi Smith. This dance offered respect to Hindu deities and to the audience.
The final two performances were also solos. The first form was Odissi, a joyous performance welcoming the arrival of spring, danced by Subha Mostafiz who is a staff writer for The Hustler. The second was another Bharatanatyam dance symbolizing the joy of life performed by Smith.
The event concluded with a photo opportunity alongside Agni members and a catering of North Indian and Pakistani food.
