The Hindi word for “youth,” jawani, represents the best years of your life.
The Penn South Asia Society celebrated these years in Irvine Auditorium on March 18 through dance and music in their 21st annual spring cultural show, Jawani: The Best Years of Your Life.
Most of the crowd was dressed in colorful South Asian traditional costume, honoring their culture and supporting the students participating in the show.
But, what makes the spring cultural show special is its open format. Last year, the Penn South Asia Society opened up the show to all Penn students who wanted to participate. “I like the new show format,” said College junior Tanvir Gopal. “I like how there’s a little bit more of the Penn community.”
The main reason the Penn South Asia Society board decided to open up the show was to create a greater awareness of their culture and allow those who are interested in it to participate.
Engineering and Wharton senior Karan Dhruve, the outgoing president of the society, added the change is great because those “interested in learning about the South Asian culture or [those who] want to dance and sing can join.”
He added, “A great part of the show is when you see people who aren’t South Asian that come and learn these types of dances and perform them.”
Engineering freshman Raina Dhir, the freshman liaison and incoming cultural chair, said, “the culture show isn’t just about dancing,” it’s also about appreciating South Asian culture. She had always wanted to learn bhangra, a traditional South Asian dance. She got the opportunity to learn bhangra through a Penn preceptorial and was able to perform in the show.
The show was organized by class year. Groups of freshmen opened with their dances and the all-senior dance group concluded the show with their performance. Each performance showcased a unique blend of South Asian dance.
Just as the dances fused ancient Katha, bhangra, filmy and jazz among others, the music was a fusion of traditional South Asian dhol beats and Rihanna and the Black Eyed Peas.
The final performance was the seniors’ parting dance. After an endearing slide show of pictures of times they had spent together, all the seniors stood together on the stage, hugging, dancing and having fun at their last show before leaving Penn.
“It’s great that after four years, seniors can come together for that one dance,” Dhruve said.
“I want to do that,” said Swaroop Rao, a College freshman who had opened the show with a rendering of “The Star-Spangled Banner”. Watching the seniors on stage made her excited to be a part of the Penn South Asia Society. “It’s really amazing that we can come together,” she added.
Gopal agreed. “It’s a fun way to connect with other people in the [South Asian Society] community and with my roots.”
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