IASA show connects generations

By Jacquelyn Nixon

Daily Staff Reporter

Flashes of gold accents on the performers' costumes sparkled like their enthusiasm Saturday night as students danced to a mixture of hip hop and traditional Indian music at Hill Auditorium.

Dressed in classic fashions of the East as well as contemporary clothing of the West, participants in the Indian American Student Association cultural show demonstrated the bond between parents from India and first generation Indian-Americans in "NEXUS: Linking Generations."

LSA sophomore Morlie Patel, who performed in "Banjaron Ki Raat," said dancing serves as a bridge between parents and their children.

"Most of us aren't really fluent in the language," Patel said. "The dancing is one thing that we can continue and pass on. This is something we can hold on to."

IASA Treasurer Joydeep Sarkar, an LSA junior, said the music, theater and dance segments of the show highlighted the theme, "NEXUS," which to him means fusion.

"The fashion shows were very different this year. We had a lot more fusion dances and we mixed classical with pop dancing," he said.

In addition to the dances, the show also featured a skit titled "Michigan Masala." Sarkar said solidifying the script for the drama was a lengthy process.

"We started rehearsing about two months ago and we had a couple of problems in developing the skit. We threw out the first copy because we weren't satisfied with it and we thought we could do better," he said.

Sarkar said the final version shows the lack of communication between parents and children.

"But both sides know what each side wants," he said.

Sarkar said the number of participants rose from 330 last year to 400 this year.

The annual IASA show began in 1983 as a celebration of Diwali, India's new year, in East Quad's Green Lounge. Throughout the years, the show has changed venues to accommodate its popularity. Before moving to Hill Auditorium, the show had taken place in the Michigan Theater and the Power Center.

While tickets have sold out before the night of the show in past years, Sarkar said some were still available Saturday night.

"I know our last count we had 200 tickets left, when the doors opened. We came close to selling out, so we had at most 100 tickets left," he said.

Sunada Poadhan and Nisha and Vish Dawane traveled from India to watch their grandson, LSA junior Rahul Dawane, and celebrate Diwali with family in Michigan.

Nisha Dawane said she had seen the IASA show on video the year before and wanted to see the production in person.

"We came to Michigan for the typical holiday functions and to see my grandson, who participated in the drama," she said.

The notoriety of the show not only reaches distant family members but high school students from the area.

Tia Chakraborty, a student from Dow High School in Midland, said she looked forward to hearing her brother, Engineering senior Kinshuk Chakraborty, sing in "Hava Ke Rang."

"He's done many programs in the past," she said. "I'm looking forward to seeing him because I've heard so many good things about it and this is my first time to attend the IASA cultural show."

Michigan State University sophomore Saurabh Rohatgi complimented the student's creative abilities.

"The dances about the present time period was my favorite because it represents how our culture is well integrated with American culture," Rohatgi said.

Rohatgi said the Indian cultural show at Michigan State isn't as big and the university's Indian community hopes to put on a show of this quality in the future.