Friday is the annual Expressions dance and dinner, hosted by the South Asian Student Association.
p.The event, which has sold out in the past few years, features dances by SASA members, as well as one with the dance team Syndicate. The Bhangra Team will also present a dance from Punjab, India. Tickets are on sale this week at the University Center.
p. Expressions is a show about cross-cultural perspectives. “It’s about integrating Western and Eastern interpretations of South Eastern culture,” dancer, choreographer and SASA President Rashmi Joshi ’08 said.
p. Joshi, and SASA Expressions Chair Pooja Gupta ’09 have danced in Expressions every year they’ve attended the College. The officers began planning for this year’s event over the summer, and rehearsals began the second week of September.
p. Each year, the dances are woven together around a skit. Last year’s audience — those who were lucky enough to score a ticket to the sold out show — may recall a love story about the pressures of cross-cultural relationships. And what about this year’s story? “Maybe we won’t give away the story line,” Joshi said.
p. It was revealed, however, that there will be seven main characters with seven individual stories and one overarching theme.
p. “It’s about how to bring your culture and other [cultures] into your life,” Gupta said.
p. “It’s how to strike a balance between purely South Asian roots and what South Asian culture is now, a mix of past and present, taking into account Western influence,” Joshi said.
p. SASA itself is a blending of cultures, with every race, religion and ethnicity represented in its 50 active members, many of whom are international students. No one dance performed during Expressions represents just South Asian culture, but a blending of “a lot of different cultures,” Gupta said.
p. Following the multi cultural entertainment will be a dinner, with Indian food catered by Nawab. Highlights of the menu are chicken makhni (butter chicken) and samosa (fried and breaded potatoes) with peas and spices, naan and dessert. The dinner, which also includes vegetarian dishes, will be topped off with a free after-party in Tazewell Hall.
p. Tickets are $7 for the show and $10 for the show and dinner. They are on sale all week in the UC from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m., as well as at the door before the show. Because there are only 350 seats in the Commonwealth Auditorium, make sure to buy tickets early. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7, with the meal and after-party to follow.