Diwali: Three Idiots, One Show

This year, on November 8th and November 9th, the Indian Student’s Association (ISA) opened its heavily anticipated culture show, Diwali! Featuring singing acts and dances from the various cultures of India, Diwali gave the audience a taste of the diverse Indian culture and traditions. This culture show was highly anticipated, with various events throughout tech week!

ISA presented ten dances:

• Sophomore
• Classical
• Junior
• South Indian
• Bhangra
• Boys
• Girls
• Combined
• Modern
• Board

With an additional three individual acts:

• Aashritha and Sujana (dancing)
• Nidhi (singing)
• Sophia (singing)

The show was based off of the Bollywood film, 3 Idiots, with six actors. The script incorporated the same humor from 3 Idiots, and the audience was blown away by the captivating dances and wonderful singing! There were slight light malfunctions, but the performers continued professionally.

Sophomore had over 30 participants! Their dance was very energetic and included complex dance moves. Executing this performance with around a month to prepare was a very impressive feat! The individual act, Aashritha and Sujana, started off with an elegant dance but transitioned into something fiery, showcasing their flexibility in dance styles and their skill! As the second performance, Aashritha and Sujana set a high bar for the upcoming acts.

Classical was heavily formations based and elegant! It incorporated diverse songs and dance types from all over India! The next act was Nidhi, singing “Ghar More Pardesiya.” With many impressive rifts and runs, Nidhi sang flawlessly, and she truly has an incredible amount of skill and talent!

Junior was very energetic and impressed the audience with individual highlights! There were some issues with the lighting, but the performers carried on to deliver a passionate and exciting show! South Indian had a brilliant combination of slow and fast dances. The start was very mysterious, but by the end, the dance had transitioned to be light and exciting. This act was very versatile and made good use of formations!

Bhangra had a significantly smaller group of dancers, yet their impact was just the same. This dance required a lot of energy, and the performers sweat buckets for sure! Sophia was the last individual act, singing “Tum Hi Ho.” Her singing was light and melancholy, making the audience feel the emotion and depth of the song!

Boys had every performer dressed in dark clothes, adding a mysterious image! There was a large number of performers on stage, who each worked hard to execute the dance flawlessly. Girls was flashy and had an impressive stunt! This dance was very exciting and roused the audience. Combined was partner-based and was very thrilling!

As usual, modern was one of the more complex dances, with heavily-drilled formations and hard moves. Each dancer brought their own energy and performed wonderfully! As one of the last dances, modern closed the show on a high note. Board dance was a fun and cute way to showcase the board members!

Diwali wasn’t just a show. It was an experience that celebrated unity in diversity and reminded everyone the importance of celebrating culture. Each act showed the dedication and the passion of the performers. The show brought together people from all backgrounds to experience the wondrous culture of India.