India Society of Worcester celebrated Diwali with its Annual Cultural Program on November 16, 2008 with a bang. There were close to 700 people who attended the program and almost 200 children who participated in the music and dance show that was based on the theme: “The Five Elements of the Universe”.

Choreographers and their wonderful students, from around the community rose to this occasion and performed a variety of dances. Each of these dances celebrated the universal theme of the five elements.  Several renowned teachers like Jasmine Shah, Darshana Jani, Meenakshi and Paarija, Kannan Sachdeva, and Mitali Biswas presented many beautiful dances that interpreted this theme with vigor, candor and a lot of enthusiasm.

Jasmine Shah’s dance “Bhoomi Mangalam”, Darshana Jani’s “Jyothi Kalash Chalkey”, Meenakshi & Paarija’s “Krishnani Begani”, and Mitali Biswas’s depiction of “Fire” were outstanding. Mitali Biswas also choreographed the conclusion of the show or the grand finale that encompassed all the five elements in pure Bharatnatyam style. This dance represented the celebration of all the five elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and Sky as they finally unite in the cosmic dance of creation and eternal life. One element awakens another until all of creation rises in unison greeting the creator himself. As these rise and ebb through our life and the entire cosmos, we in our own little ways strive to find our own harmony with their universal song. As the program concluded, people were spellbound by this tremendous display of talent and the coming together of the community along this wonderful theme. I am sure the audience went back home with sweet memories of this final dance.

The Masters of the Ceremony were Mrs. Anuradha Deshpande and Mr. Rajit Seth. Both performed as a perfect team, allowing their oration to blend with the theme. This provided the scaffolding that allowed the entire program to flow smoothly and in harmony. A job well done! Kudos to India Society of Worcester and its Cultural Secretary for putting up yet another wonderful program that was both entertaining and absorbing.

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