Twenty one years ago, the school’s Bombay in the Bay (BnB) started with just a couple of dances held in the school gym. It switched locations to the McAfee Center and grew bigger and bigger as the community came together to celebrate Indian culture — always selling out two shows and raising thousands of dollars for worthy charities.
Organized by the Indian Cultural Awareness Club (ICAC), the event will take place on Feb. 14-15. In-person tickets are $25 each and the event will also be livestreamed.
“What I really like about BnB is that Bollywood is super big in all parts of India, so it brings a lot of people together,” senior ICAC officer Esha Verma said. “We have specialty dances from different parts of India that show off not only Bollywood but specificities about Indian culture you wouldn’t get to know otherwise.”
Through BnB, Verma has been able to try many new styles of Indian dance, such as classical and tamasha, besides what she’s most familiar with. This year’s dances include freshmen, sophomore, juniors, seniors, all male dance (AMD), all girls dance (AGD) and “specialty dances” — which require auditioning — including classical, bhangra and tamasha. Besides dancing, there will also be a singing act.
Verma notes that another valuable aspect of BnB is how it introduces Indian culture to participants and audience members who may not be Indian themselves.
“I love how so many people are not Indian and are doing it because they get to represent and experience the culture as well,” Verma said.
Senior ICAC officer Ishir Gupta has drawn a more personal meaning from his participation in the past four years. Gupta, a lead choreographer, said he now finds it easier to connect with his Indian relatives because of his involvement in Indian dance. Before joining BnB in freshman year, Gupta said he felt disconnected from Indian culture and found it difficult to talk and find shared experiences with his grandmother.
“I’m allergic to a lot of Indian food and I can’t speak Hindi, so I had no prior connection to Indian culture,” Gupta said. “When you have this big event and start dancing with a bunch of people that might have a similar problem as me, you find a connection through that.”
Not only is the event a celebration of Indian culture, but it gives back to the community back in India. This year, ICAC is partnering with “A Future for Every Child,” which helps 18-year-old foster youth in India transition out of foster care by financially supporting their education and career pursuits. Anusaya Rao, a representative from this charity, will be speaking at the event as well.
