Thrilling Stretch Run Cools Off With Sways & Spins, Rhythm India Style!

Photos: Murali Santhana

Photos: Murali Santhana

Click here to see Photo Collage

Click here for video of the Performance

By Vanshika Vipin Varma

HOUSTON: Having a super Half Time at a pressure-packed NBA game can be as thrilling as the stretched run itself. On Friday, March 30 Houston witnessed history at the Toyota Center, with the electrifying match of Rockets v/s Phoenix Suns. The remarkable game was complimented with the mesmerizing medley performed by Rhythm India. Rhythm India was the first ever Bollywood Dance Company to perform at Half Time at the Houston Rockets game in 2011. And since then, they have been adding up the spice during these intoxicating tournaments. Their 7th consecutive performance at the NBA game was noteworthy and coincided with the number one position of Rockets. The enthusiastic Houstonians were thrilled to cheer on Rockets, who were down by almost 17 points before Half Time.

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At Half-Time, the tension eased out thanks to the magnificent staging by Rhythm India. They opened up to an enthusiastic crowd with a remix of Bom Diggy by Zack Knight, set-up in a creatively superlative form with classical moves, showcasing two dancers swaying away to the classical Kathak and their other two colleagues captivating the audiences with their Bharata Natyam moves. They were joined in with their troupe; a center group performing to hip-hop. In a flash, they seamlessly seeped into a magnetizing performance to ‘Badri Ki Dulhania’. The finale ‘Hawa Hawa’ was enthralling also for the reason that some of the dancers used Rockets’ flags as their props.

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If a troupe of super-talented 43 dancers, aged 10 years and above, doesn’t do that then what does? Of course, the credit also goes to the choreography par excellence, the breathtaking energy and stunning synchronization. The performance was precise and flawless, with an eye for detail on every aspect. The costumes were extraordinary- ranging from the color of Rockets- Red & Blue, to the shimmering Gold. The lightings helped accelerate the energy in the stadium.

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It is said that the dynamics of a game can change post Half Time and the velocity and intensity may alter.  This is precisely what happened at this historic fixture, as Rockets hit it back in the 3rd & 4th quarter to tie the score a couple of times. The stimulating part was when Rockets had 1.4 seconds left on the clock and they scored a 3 pointer, which made them win at the last second by a point. Exhilarating moment for the fans!

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Arzan Gonda, the Artistic Director of Rhythm India stated, “This was one of the most memorable performances at Half time for me because all the dancers worked really hard for this routine. We experimented with new ideas in terms of song selection and interpretation. For a lot of the participants, it was their first time and we could feel each other’s energy down on that court. The feedback has been fantastic, we had several Rockets fans who went out of their way to compliment our performance after Half time”.

The super-excited Arzan also mentioned that she would like to thank all the dancers, back stage crew, parents, families, friends and well-wishers for all their love and support. She did a special mention of thanks for their back-stage Manager, Rashna Oak, who is the backbone of all Rhythm India productions. The back-stage crew included Dilshad Patel, Zenia Sunavala & Sneha Dama. Arzan also thanked Murali Santhana and team for capturing the event.

Post the high-energy performance of the stars of NBA and Rhythm India, we encapsulated some feedback from the exhilarated audience. Very well done and amazing performance– Dipti Tripathi
Wow that’s a superb performance– Minal Naik
When we were walking to the car couple of ladies, walking on our side, came and told menita that till the last shot the half time show was the highlight of the evening– Neikhila Thakare
Congratulations on another successful Rocking performance– Prerna Tatia

Rhythm India has Bollywood Dance classes all across town (Stafford, Sugar Land, Katy & Bellaire) for all age groups and skill levels. Rhythm India’s annual program “Just Dance 2018” is scheduled on Saturday, May 5. There will be two shows 4:00pm & 8:00pm at the Old Stafford Civic Center and the tickets will go on sale on April 23, for the public at tututix.com. Rhythm India will hold auditions for their performing troupe for kids, juniors youth & adults in the month of May. They will be hosting different dance workshops during the summer.

For those interested in signing up for any of these workshops, visit www.rhythm-india.com or call 281 968 9479.