Valentines Date Night with Bollywood Moments!!

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By Runmee Barbara

HOUSTON: Valentine’s Day for the family doesn’t get any better than enjoying Bollywood dance and munching on special Valentine’s Day-themed treats. It is a day to celebrate love and have fun with loved ones. Here is a roundup of the Valentine’s Day benefit for the non-profit Kalakriti Performing Arts organized by Kusum Sharma’s Shri Natraj School of Dance. Hearts, romantic verses, wine, goodies, stories, music and dance made this day special for all.

The show began with a spotlight image of Lord Ganesha on the screen of the stage. It started with chantings of Deva Shree Ganesha while dancers posed in different Ganesha styles which culminated in an energetic dance performance.

There were four famous couples (jodi’s) themed performance, Romeo Juliet, Laila Majnu, Heer  Ranjha and Sohni Mahiwal. The performers acted and danced on some classic songs with zest and glee. Their dance was often accompanied by lip-syncing and flashing eyes and had all of Bollywood’s engaging vivacity. Ude Jab jab zulfe tere” and “Ruth aa gaye re” were among few dances performed by students of Shri Natraj School of dance which kept everyone’s foot tapping.

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The show progressed with Kusum Sharma’s solo dances mesmerizing the audience with her performances  in classical songs like” jhumka gira re” and “aaj jaane ki zid na karo” which were sung by Veena Watwe. The melodious voice, beats of tabla and footbells were fascinating. Kusum Sharma’s facial expressions and subtle movements were simply ravishing. “Chalte Chalte” was also one of her big hits. The array of costumes were so admirably vivid that it was appealing to everyones’s eyes.

There was a lovely qawali performance which was followed by the song “Aa jawe Mahi” projecting the love and longing for the lovers to unite. The duet sections would often show them dancing or acting in different ways simultaneously.
Breaking the monotony of romantic songs came the sound of Dhol beats. The entire atmosphere changed to a playful mood. It was the beginning of the bhangra contest. Lively beats with different bhangra moves by all the participants was an enjoyable moment.

The show ended with the tunes of some energetic Indian Rock and roll. A group of well co-ordinated dancers presented it. The boys with red tie and girls with fluorescent green skirts and a headband of roses made a perfect end to the Valentines event. Kusum Sharma entered the stage adorned with glittery diamonds making a grand entry from within the couples. It was a fitting end to the entire show.

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The emcees, Shhyam Moorthy, Kavita Barua and Nikita Khambe were great in keeping the flow of the show. They kept the love meter high of everyone by doing few acts, throwing in a few trivia’s and also being part of few dances.

It was an entertaining evening filled with love, comedy, fun trivia and jokes. Drinks and wine were served for adults, Photo shoot was set for the best couple contest, face painting was done for kids and photo booth was made to capture memories.

It was a fantastic stage show for the entire family from toddlers to teens, from singles to couples and from young to old. From the Classical footsteps to the peppy beats of bhangra, classic love songs to some happy foot tapping Bollywood moves, the entire package of this Valentine’s day event to dine and wine with a musical evening was definitely an impressive experience for everyone present there. All proceeds went to 501 (c) (3) Kalakriti Performing Arts, a local charity dedicated to promoting India culture, values & heritage via visual and performing arts.

For more details & past and upcoming events visit www.kalakritiusa.org