TASA culture show a vibrant success

The "glitz and glamour of the stars" was one of the reasons the TASA Culture Show directors chose this year's theme, "Chandni," which means moonlight. While the auditorium was decorated with this celestial theme, the show's true stars were on stage. If the TASA cast members were the stars, well, the show was their big bang -- their energy was explosive.

The energy was only matched by the spirit of an audience of friends and family that packed Cohen auditorium both Friday and Saturday nights. Yelps, shouts, and cheers kept the energy level up for the audience as well as the cast.

The trademarks of TASA's culture show were all there this past weekend: festively infectious beats, colorful and beautiful costumes, electrifying energy from the cast as well as from the audience, and what the culture show is known for -- Bhangra.

In one of the skits, a Jerry Seinfeld impersonator said that Bhangra looked like a mixture of "ninja fighting and break dancing." In reality, Bhangra is a traditional, lively dance that originates from Punjab, India. In the dances, the cast members jumped around and moved their barefoot feet so quickly, it rivaled the moves of the Lord of the Dance.

Each dancer's face was more animated than the next, with cast members singing along or just grinning and nodding their heads, in an expression that Bollywood has made famous. But what really tied the bow on this vibrant package were the arm movements. Depending on the song, the cast member's energized arm movements called out, provoked, exhilarated, seduced, but mainly captivated the audience -- all with graceful hand gestures that furthered the artful beauty of the show.

Some dances mixed traditional moves and music with modern counterparts; one in particular, "Spirit of Brown" -- an all-male dance -- was a dancing duel between two Bhangra squads. The audience cheered on the dancers' acrobatic agility and attitude, especially when the boys took off their shirts (leaving on only tanks) when "It's Getting Hot in Herre" came on.

In "Pyar Ki Kahani" (The Story of Love), male dancers wooed their partners to a medley of Hindi, Hip-Hop, and lyrical songs. Some dances also incorporated other cultures. "Fiesta del Andemaaj aur Maja" (Party of Fusion and Fun) combined Bhangra moves with Indian-Arabic-Spanish music and "Nachke Dikha," a dance that originates from Punjab, "attempts to bring in different cultures and peoples to show them what the dance means and signifies," according to the program.

The skits, like in most culture shows, were specifically entertaining to the portion of the audience that understood the cultural jokes. However, jokes pertaining to generational differences, Tufts, and American pop culture were universally humorous. The skits all followed a South Asian-American young man trying to understand his more conservative uncle and South Asian culture. They touched on South Asian and South Asian-American issues creatively with spoofs of Seinfeld ("the housemate switch" and "curry Nazi") and American Idol (with Ozzy Osbourne and the uncle as judges.) While most of the skits were amusing, they lengthened the show (which was just over three hours), and delayed what the audience was really there to see: the dancing and musical acts.

Amidst the dances were musical performances such as a song from a Hindi film and instrumental pieces. Music group Tarana played traditional South East Asian music with vocals and Desi Dhamaka played a mix of eastern and western music that included incredible drum solos, which received uproarious applause.

The fashion show, "Shattered," showcased exquisite traditional and modern wear. Throughout the show, the colorful costumes of vibrantly beautiful flowing fabrics and scarves added to the bright spirit of the dances. Other props included fighting sticks that looked impressive in dances which imitated fight moves, finger cymbals, and small decorative boxes.

The show aptly began with a performance by the freshmen and ended with a dance by seniors. In their last performance, the seniors vivaciously danced with pounding energy and beauty, exuding the same charisma shown by the future of TASA's culture show, the freshmen.

As the first dance in the show, the many freshmen (they filled the Cohen stage) danced a number of different cultural dances from India as well as some modern moves. Their dance told the story of a South Asian-American boy trying to win the love of his life by traveling to India to learn more about the culture. The dance displayed an integral theme to the show, South Asian-Americans learning about their heritage and culture. The freshmen's fresh effervescence was a perfect start to the show.

While the show was on the long side, the TASA cast members' explosive energy thrilled the audience and proved to them that they really were the stars.