Under bold purple lights, students danced, struck dandiya sticks and sang mashups of pop and South Asian beats on Saturday evening at the South Asian Student Alliance’s Festival of Lights in Norris University Center’s McCormick Auditorium.
The event included performances from the Northwestern Raas and Garba, Brown Sugar, Ahana Dance Project, Bhangra, Deeva and SASA’s freshman class.
The Festival of Lights — celebrated across South Asia as a symbol of light triumphing over darkness — brought together students and families for an evening of music, dance and community. Medill junior and SASA co-President Lavanya Subramanian said Diwali was always a cherished celebration for her.
“Every year I’m just so amazed by the teams,” Subramanian said. “I think it’s a really good way, especially for freshmen and sophomores, to be able to find a kind of home away from home, especially since it’s their fall quarter.”
Subramaniam said the logistics of planning the event and rehearsing for performances demanded a lot of effort, but watching the teams put everything together was worth it in the end.
In between each set, Bienen sophomore and SASA co-Director of Cultural Affairs Tanya Ganesh performed skits with Weinberg sophomores and co-Directors of Outreach Jainik Shroff and Kieran Layland. Ganesh, who dances for Ahana, said being part of the team has helped her meet some of her closest friends.
“I’ve never actually danced before, and Ahana was a way for me to make a lot of new friends that also didn’t have as much dancing experience,” Ganesh said. “Dancing together with them was so meaningful to me. It’s literally all of my favorite people on stage, so it was just nice to share the stage with them.”
Many performances were met with loud cheers and praise from the audience members. Weinberg freshman Rohin Jayaraman performed in the Bhangra dance with the rest of the team’s new members.
Bhangra, a traditional Punjabi folk dance, is “all about being lively and energetic,” Jayaraman said.
After the show, performers flooded into the halls and were greeted with applause from audience members. Jayaraman said he appreciated how South Asian culture was showcased throughout the night.
“Where I’m from, it’s not diverse at all, so coming here and having the South Asian Student Alliance and actual events that celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights or an actual event where everyone can come and dance, eat food, sing and just celebrate our culture (is) a really special thing,” Jayaraman said.
The post-event dinner was held in Norris’ Louis Room. Festivities continued, as attendees listened to South Asian music and shared dinner with friends.
McCormick freshman Saida Bidiwala said it was fun to hear the different mashups and see everyone immersed in the performances.
“I think it’s a really good way to display your culture in a way that’s really digestible to other people,” Bidiwala said. “A lot of people showed up to support their friends, and they learned more about South Asian culture.”
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