Tufts Association of South Asians (TASA) presented their annual culture show “DHAMAAL” on February 13 and 14, 2009 at Cohen Auditorium, Tufts University.  “DHAMAL” which translates in Hindi to “restless and energy” featured a variety of performances showcasing the talent of the students.   The directors: Shreena Brahmbhatt, Anisha Gandhi, Mdhuri Indaram, Shrikar Rajagopal, Karan Randhawa and Ruchmini Reddy credited the devotion of choreographers and performers. “ Our choreographers and performers have devoted countless hours of their time into their acts, and are ready to lead you through a cultural tour of South Asia, with their instruments, songs and dances,” they said.

The show began in traditional fashion with a performance by freshmen titled “Freshman Dance” choreographed by Anshika Bakshi, Priyanka Kancherla, Adi Kulkarni, Natasha Malkani and Avigya Shreshta. The dance was filled with new energy with a blend of old and new bollywood hits.  The first song "hum hai naiyen andaz kyon ho purana"  captured the spirit of freshers.   This followed by items ranging from classical dance performances, bollywood dance renditions and fusion dances.  

Performances from many parts of South Asia  was a treat for audiences. The “South Indian Dance” choreographed by Kalpana Ganti and Neha Madurai kept the spirit of South India.  The  “Nepali Dance”  choreographed by Dhriti Bhatta and Namita Vaidya was a medley of Nepali movie song and a folk song  was entertaining.  The show featured a Bengali performance for the first time “Spirit of Bengal” choreographed by Samina Hosain and Rezwan Khan. Of course no show is complete without Garba and Bhangra performances. The teams at Tufts put together excellent performances to awe the audience.

A skit about Olympics taking place in India in 2009 did get plenty of laughs.  It was good to see the parody of athletes, commentators and the “CHAI WALLAH”.  The “Fashion Show” choreographed by Shrudith Tewarie and Adhavait Shah highlighted the multiplicity of South Asian Cultures. Mina Ratalkar and Nikku Traylor-Knowles choreographed the “Belly Dance”.  A fusion of Middle Eastern flair with Indian twist was a treat to all the audience.

The show concluded with a performance by seniors with the piece titled “Senior Dance” choreographed by Vinny Keshav, Ashti Mistry, Saumini Shah, Gayathry Sooriyakumar and Neha Uppal.  Loud cries “09” cheered the seniors on might be on the Cohen Auditorium stage for the last time. 

With tech savvy students, the videos are already up online. Catch the glimpses below:

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