The colorful dance of Rang Ki Raj Kumari and the energetic Bumbro were but two of the South Asian performances highlighting “Chasing Anjali,” the South Asian Students Association’s spring show, which was held Friday night in a sold-out Ryan Auditorium.
For the first time SASA’s show included a storyline to complement the exhibitions of South Asian performances. SASA members acted out a Northwestern version of a typical South Indian movie plot in between twelve cultural performances focusing on South Asian languages, dance and music.
The large audience participated in the performances by yelling out to their friends on stage and singing the songs they knew.
“We had a really excited crowd,” said Amy Shah, a Weinberg freshman. “There were a lot of acts to get the crowd into it.”
Many of the performances showed unique aspects of South Asian culture, such as mythology, languages and geography.
The performance also was a platform for working for change in South Asia, as SASA distributed information about the region’s AIDS epidemic at intermission.
The performances featured intricate costumes and a wide variety of music. One performance acted out the story of Mohini and Bhasmaasura, an Indian version of “Beauty and the Beast.”
The story involved the Hindu god Vishnu, who outwits a demon king. Both were portrayed by SASA members wearing colorful costumes.
Weinberg junior Zeeshaan Sajanlal sang “Chalte Chalte,” an ancient romantic song from India, while McCormick senior Neel Shah accompanied her on the tabla drums.
Another performance featured the Pakistani “Punjabi Bhangra” dance style. Six dancers wearing green scarves and white outfits displayed Pakistani patriotism and pride with a fast-paced dance that culminated with the dancers raising a Pakistani flag.
The audience also displayed pride in their culture and traditions. The crowd, which yelled and hollered enthusiastically for the majority of the show, became silent during a rendition of the Indian national anthem, “Jana Gana Mana,” by the a cappella group Brown Sugar. Many in the audience stood and sang along as the anthem listed off India’s states.
SASA members prepared for the performance with weeks of practice and rehearsal, practicing for up to six hours a day during the week before the concert, Amy Shah said.
NU students completely produced and choreographed the show, she said. It featured nearly 100 individual performances by members of SASA.
The performance focused on aspects of South Asian culture in America, such as pressure to study chemistry and become a doctor.
“It’s fairly typical of South Asian people,” said Chirayu Amin, a McCormick senior. “I think the parents (in attendance) found it funny.”
The performance faced some technical difficulties which caused the show to run longer than expected. The show began 30 minutes late, and preparations between acts left the audience in several minutes of darkness.
“It was longer than last year,” Shah said. “We could start earlier, but with the amount of acts that we had, I thought the timing went pretty well.”
