The Mirch-Masala dance group
Photo: Courtesy of the Mirch-Masala dance group
Northwestern has one of the most vibrant Indian communities on any college campus in the nation. It’s shown by the events held throughout the year: Fall quarter’s Samosa Social, 30 Rock star Maulik Pancholy as a speaker, and Hindu garba, or traditional Indian folk dance. The South Asian Student Association (SASA), which organizes these events, represents the main outlet of culture for the South Asian community at Northwestern. Going by the affectionate nickname “Brown Town,” SASA members have created a tight-knit community that is highly visible on campus. But the community’s heart remains its dance teams.
SASA organizes the auditions for the four well-known Indian dance teams—Bhangra, Mirch, A Nu Bhav, and Deeva—on campus, and Saturday night, they’ll perform at the upcoming SASA Night Live—an exhibition of the community’s dancing talents on Sat. in Cahn Auditorium.
From relationships to drama, the dance teams have had it all. They even gained a spot last quarter in The Weekly’s “Confirmed and Denied” gossip feature: An anonymous insider criticized some of the dance teams for unfairly “getting the freshmen drunk to make them like their team.”
We talked to two of the teams to get the scoop on SASA and the culture, art, and practice that makes their teams in to families.
Name: Bhangra
Essentials:
Circa 2005, 14 co-recreational members
Standard definition:
“Popular dance music originating chiefly in England that combines traditional Punjabi music with elements of disco and hip-hop “ – Merriam-Webster
Their definition:
“It’s like hip-hop and crazy drums and beats made a baby.” – dancer, Medill freshman Roshan Nebhrajani
The Experience:
“Imagine the smile you would have on your face if all the following happened simultaneously: the girl of your dreams asked you out, you find out that you aced all your finals, and you have home-cooked Indian food waiting in your dorm. That’s what Bhangra will do to you.” – dancer, Weinberg freshman Kaushal Khambhati
Highlight:
“My favorite moment was the first few seconds I realized I made the team. The team president called me and told me to meet her outside my dorm to discuss some aspects of the team. As I stepped outside, the only word I hear was ‘Sorry,’ before I was pied in the face as the entire Bhangra team jumped out at me and yelled ‘Congratulations!’” – dancer, Weinberg freshman Ajay Haryani
Name: Mirch-Masala
Essentials:
12 all-girl members
Source:
Captain Ashna Shah, Comm junior
Their definition:
“We blend different styles of dance, bringing together seasoned Bharatanatyam dancers [traditional Indian dance-form known for its sculpturesque poses], zesty hip-hop moves, and spicy art forms from all around India and the world. Mix all that with a fiery group of performers to create a flavor that is uniquely Mirchi.”
The Experience:
“We get meals together, we go out together, we paint the town red [laughs]. We are a crazy team, with members that become increasingly crazy the more time they spend on the team. We love to dance and more than anything our dance shows the spontaneous personality of Mirch. You can never predict what a night out with mirch will be like. Any girl will agree.”
Vocab:
Mirch boys A group of the girls’ close friends that help out with Mirch-related affairs. “We dubbed them Mirch Boys because we loved the alliance that was already forming between our team and them.”
Essence of sexy love How Mirch members describe themselves
Carlton house Where the afterparties are
Let’s make it huge – Team motto
Highlight:
“We have these moments during practice where all of our ideas on paper come together and make something amazing happen on the dance floor. It doesn’t happen every practice, but when it does, it really puts things in perspective.”
