Bombay in the Bay breaks a new ground

Senior and Indian Cultural Awareness Club president Shauray Agrawal stood in the middle of the McAfee Center stage, playing an average high schooler with a dream of being a Bollywood movie star. He and his fellow actors projected their lines to introduce the next performance, and exited the stage as dancers rushed on to take their places for the start of their act. 

This was just one moment from the On April 13 Bombay in the Bay (BNB) annual dance showcase, put on by the Indian Cultural Awareness club. 

This year’s show included the newly added Bhangra dance (a fast-paced rhythmic dance that originates from the Punjab region in India), a teacher dance and a surprise performance by the parents of seniors. 

“This year, we really wanted to expand the show to involve more people and showcase more culture,” Agrawal said. 

Along with new dances in the show itself, club officers made other improvements such as higher quality programs and concession sales during intermission. They are also tried to increase the amount of money given to charity by selling food on-campus to performers during the break between the two performances and by having teacher Tony Palma record the show as opposed to a professional videographer.

This year, the event raised an estimated $6,000. The proceeds benefit the Akshaya Patra foundation, an Indian non profit organization providing food and education to children in India, and the Future Hope foundation, an organization that provides homes, schools and medical programs for children on the streets and slums of Kolkata, India, Agrawal said. 

Though the overall show ran smoothly, difficulties emerged during rehearsals.

“This year, the officers left a lot to do last minute, and we were pretty disorganized in the days leading to the show,” club secretary Ankita Chadha said. “There was so much to do and we didn't properly spread out our time.”

Chadha and Agrawal advised next year’s board to not only manage their time better, but also add in a full tech rehearsal.

“We never have a full, serious run-through of the show before the afternoon show,” Agrawal said. “As a result, every year the afternoon show's techs miss out on some important cues for the skit and dances, which later get rectified for the night show.”

Despite these problems, the Indian Cultural Awareness club members ultimately reached their goal — to raise money for a good cause while having fun.

“I think this fundraiser is inherently different, in that not only is this event solely for the purpose of raising money, but a fun way for the whole community to get together and celebrate the Indian culture,” Agrawal said.