It was an hour before show time — 60 minutes before the stage lit up with the twists and twirls of jewel-toned saris and sequined skirts.
Meera Dave wasn’t nervous.
Well, just a little bit, she admitted.
Dave was one of more than 150 performers to celebrate the Indian festival of lights Sunday evening at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for the Diwali Show, a dance-filled commemoration of the Indian new year.
“You get to bond with other people that share the same background and culture,” the UF sophomore said. “It’s about heritage.”
More than 1,000 people packed the auditorium, some donning traditional Indian outfits, to celebrate the holiday, which was officially last month.
The performance was organized by the UF Indian Student Association.
Prashanth Shanmugham, a UF sophomore and the treasurer of the club, said the performance represents a cultural celebration.
“It’s an opportunity for those in the Indian community to really get together and celebrate the festival,” he said.
The stage lights danced off rhinestone-dotted fabric, accentuated by the icicle lights lining the stage in a literal representation of the festival of lights.
The performances fused together Western and Eastern culture, putting hip-hop twists on traditional Indian moves. While some performers shimmied under layers of classic Indian attire, others rocked in cargo pants and metallic sneakers, paying tribute to American-Indian fusion.
“A lot of our generation grew up here,” said Devesh Goswami, a UF electric engineering graduate student and performer. “But at the same time, we’re all South Asian. It kind of represents our generation coming together.”
It was Goswami’s first time participating in the Diwali Show, a decision he made after years of watching the cultural spectacle as an audience member. He estimated he spent about 30 hours rehearsing for the show.
The show consisted of 17 performances by dance groups including Gator Fusion, Gator Garba, Gator Bhangra and Gator Raas.
The performances were broken up by live skits meant to represent a live Bollywood movie set in the Gator Nation.
The performance also featured a fashion show, where 96 performers showed off clothing ranging from shimmering saris to formal dress wear. Instead of strutting down a runway, participants danced in pairs, posing between moves.
Dave, who had been a little anxious before the show, said the performance was significant to her cultural roots.
“It’s important to incorporate where we’re from [into the dance routines],” Dave said. “It’s a fusion of two backgrounds.”
