ICE members teach newcomers cultural dances
The Indian Cultural Exchange, a multicultural student organization, hosted a colorful and lively Garba dancing event at the Russell House Ballroom on Monday.
Garba is a traditional dance performed during the nine nights of the Hindu festival of Navaratri, according to ICE secretary Dhanika Patel. The first few days of the festival are dedicated to the worship of the Hindu goddess Durga.
This religious and cultural event began with girls dressed in colorful traditional outfits dancing around a statue of the goddess. The live music and singing were provided by some of the parents of ICE members, who knew how to sing the traditional songs and play the instruments to complement the dancing.
The dancing slowly became more intricate as more dancers joined. Anyone could participate in the dancing, and a few guests were taught the dance moves and joined in on the festivities.
As the first dancing session came to a close, the Hindu members circled around the statue and began a prayer around the goddess. They ended this prayer by handing out candy to everyone in attendance.
The next dancing session was a traditional Gujarati dance, called Dandiya Raas, a partner dance done with sticks. ICE members handed out a stick to everyone and helped teach those who weren’t familiar with the dance. It started out simple, but soon got more complicated with the addition of twists and turns, as the music and singing became more lively and exciting.
The event consisted of mostly ICE members, but there were a curious few who came out to the event.
“The music is very unique,” said Zach Frehse, a second-year business student who attended the event. “The dancing is also very unique.”