Filled with bold, flowy skirts and brightly colored dresses that could be seen throughout campus, the Sargam Group of Southern California hosted its annual Garba events on Sept. 29 and Oct. 6 at University High for its 10th consecutive year.
Garba is a popular form of Indian dance that first began in the Indian state of Gujarat. By facilitating the Garba, the Sargam Group gathered hundreds of families to celebrate Navaratri, a religious holiday honoring the nine nights of Hindu festival. Since 2009, this nonprofit organization has united people of all ages by providing a venue for participants to dance in festivals, enjoy Indian cuisine and catch up with close friends, all while donating the proceeds to excellent causes.
“I love dancing garba, particularly dandiya, which is folk dancing with sticks,” junior Amala Neervannan said. “Dancing at Garba with people who are there to have fun is a really great experience.”
The dancing began with traditional garba—men and women dancing in concentric circles around an altar—and continued to speed up until it culminated in aarti, a large group prayer. Then, after a short break that allowed everyone to enjoy the food outside, the dandiya raas began. The sudden, upbeat music beckoned men, women and children alike to grab their dandiya sticks and begin dancing again.
“When everyone took out their sticks, I was really surprised,” junior Alex Ibasitas said. “It was really cool because everyone was so coordinated with their sticks.”
This coordination is a result of deep-rooted family tradition, as many parents have taught their kids the same dance steps they learned from their parents. However, even those unfamiliar with the traditions can pick up the steps by observing seasoned adults and integrating themselves into the large circle of dancers as soon as they are ready.
“Even though I did not know anything, it was a lot of fun to dance with a large group of people,” freshman Daniel Yang said. “It felt so unique and special to be a part of such a longstanding tradition.”