UB's Center for the Arts exploded into a rhythmic celebration of India's dance and culture this weekend.
Fourteen acts graced the Mainstage Theater for over four hours, including teams from Northeastern University, University of Rochester, Cornell University, SUNY Geneseo, Syracuse University, Binghamton and UB.
Muqabala 2006 saw a theater packed with an audience whose enthusiasm nearly matched that of the performers onstage. The Indian Student Association hosted the event.
Unity was another recurring theme, though the audience was clearly divided, with cries for "Binghatom Masti!" and "UB Jalwa!" echoing throughout the night.
Stephen Klein, a freshman political science and psychology major, was excited to see such "impressive dancing."
"It's a competition, which is always a good time," Klein said.
The show opened with the singing of the Indian national anthem, complete with violin and traditional drums. The first act was non-competitive and the most traditional of the night. Priya Sarwal performed the classical dance Karthak, which originates from Northern India.
The winners of the night were Geneseo Bhangra, who incorporated a unique twist on the rhythm of Bhangra: their own step troupe. Geneseo blended tradition with modernity, and created a unique style that left many in the audience breathless.
Farrah Brunache, a junior majoring in sociology, agreed with the judges.
"I was really happy Geneseo won," Brunache said. "I really liked them."
Second place was awarded to UB's own Jalwa. Jalwa's theme this year was Bollywood, following the patriotic theme of the night. UB gave an impressive visual performance, killing the lights and using glow sticks for a portion of the dance. And for the finale, Jalwa unfurled an Indian flag covered with glitter.
Third place went to Drexel Jhalak, an all-female troupe. Their dance told the story of an Egyptian queen, her loyal followers and a battle with a snake. The queen is killed in the battle, despite the terrific efforts of her followers and their flawless dance formations.
The patriotic theme was emphasized between acts by events such as the "Jeopardy" round that asked audience volunteers questions about India's past and famous Bollywood actors.
Christin John, president of Indian Student Association, thanked the audience for their enthusiasm.
"Muqabala has never had so much of a turnout," John said.
Surbhit Bansal, a second year med student, said her favorite part of the night was the "Rock n' Rhythm" portion of the program, which consisted of kids aged five and up dancing Indian folk style and "Cha-cha-cha-ing."
"The little kids were very cute," Bansal said.
For first-timers such as Jeffery Kirk, a junior mechanical engineering major, the experience was impressive.
"This is so awesome," Kirk said. "I'm thinking about looking into Bhangra dance groups on campus."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
