Indian dance group debuts on campus

Even if some of our choreography is cheesy, Naacho, Princeton University's Indian Dance Troupe, is not to be confused for a Latin dance troupe or a Mexican appetizer spelled incorrectly.

The name actually means "Let's Dance" in Hindi, and as our name suggests we do. And despite the cheesy choreography, our dances are actually inline with India's movie scene, Bollywood, from which many of the troupe's songs come.

The troupe got started in the fall of 1999, when I looked around at mostly the usual suspects for activities on campus and noticed a void. Indian dance is a beautiful and expressive form, and I wanted to share that with the rest of Princeton.

I embraced our diversity, welcoming all ethnicities and genders, and requiring no experience. From the response I received, it was obvious that many other people on campus reciprocated my interest in Indian dance.

We began practicing and applied to be officially recognized by the USG that spring. Our first performances that April were double headers at Communiversity and the South Asian Students Association banquet on Saturday followed by Luv Jones and Tiger Night the next Tuesday.

We were absolutely excited to perform for nearly anyone who requested our presence!

And since then, we've come a long way . . .

The first performance included four girls and two guys with one girl so graciously standing in for a guy. While the ratios have stayed the same, we have since grown to a troupe of 21, 14 girls and seven guys.

Though initially concerned about the longevity of the young group, I am now certain Naacho has a great future ahead of itself! There are very talented and dedicated dancers in the troupe, many with classical training and choreography experience.

Since our humble beginnings, we have performed at the Aatma North American Dance Competition in Toronto and are now ready for our own on-campus show!

The show on March 6 and 7 at 8 p.m. in the Frist Theatre promises to showcase a variety of Indian dance styles. The Thursday show will include a guest performance by Raks Odalisque, and Friday's show will have a bhangra team from Rutgers University.

It's a performance you don't want to miss, boasting beautiful costumes, an amusing "drunk guys' dance", and a performance to a song in Laagan that was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 2002.

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Adding to all that the hip-shaking girls and ornate jewelry, there's more than enough to watch and something to please everyone! Hope to see you at the show!