Memorable Second NBA Half-time Show for Infused Performing Arts

Performers from the Infused Performing Arts Dance Comapny before the halftime show at the Rockets game at Toyota Center on February 12.    Photos: Navin Mediwala

Performers from the Infused Performing Arts Dance Comapny before the halftime show at the Rockets game at Toyota Center on February 12. Photos: Navin Mediwala

 

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By Anjana Menon

HOUSTON: On Wednesday, February 12, twenty-three dancers from Infused Performing Arts Bollywood Dance Company between the ages of twelve and thirty put on a great halftime show in front of tens of thousands of fans who had come out to watch the Houston Rockets defeat the Washington Wizards in a nail-biting close game at the Toyota Center.

Directors & Choreographers: Kiron Kumar and Tina Bose-Kumar.

Directors & Choreographers: Kiron Kumar and Tina Bose-Kumar.

The company dancers, dressed in apple green, hot pink and orange Indian costumes, danced to a medley of the latest catchy Bollywood numbers. They swept gracefully across the court from one formation to the next with their trademark high-octane moves and stunts as the crowd cheered on. The event marked the second time the dance company performed during the halftime of a Rockets game, the first time being in January of 2013.

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So what was it like returning to the Toyota Center a year later? Infused Performing Arts co-founder Tina Bose-Kumar remarked that this experience was still a first for the majority of the troupe. Company member Akhila Kumar was one among them, who witnessed last year’s show from the stands. “The only other time I’ve performed for such a huge crowd was at Bollywood Blast 2013.” she said. “This definitely was a bigger crowd but all the more fun!”. Jyothi Asokan, also a new member, agreed that performing for such a large crowd was the biggest adrenaline rush. “We were able to perform on the same court the Rockets play on, and show everyone in the stadium our talent and how much fun we have dancing”, she further stated.

For returning dancer Umair Qureshi, rehearsals were the most memorable part of the experience. “We all had fun learning new steps”, he reminisced.

Bose-Kumar added, “With the experience of having performed once before at the Toyota center, we were more confident going into this one. Preparations began well in advance, and we were able to use the court really well.” The hard work was certainly evident, with their dynamic formations engaging audiences on all sides.

Nursing student and Rockets fan, Jesly Shamjith, who was in the stands that day, described the performance as “mind-blowing” and “energetic”. She went on to add, “They were so talented, and very consistent from start to finish”.

Dancer duo Tina Bose-Kumar and Kiron Kumar founded Infused Performing Arts three years ago. Since then, the company has grown, with the Kumars having traveled around USA, India, and UAE performing and teaching choreography to beginners as well as Indian Cinema Artists. They also teach Bollywood dance in all genres from Classical to Hip Hop, at their Stafford, Sugarland and Pearland studios in the Houston area and at their two studios in Dallas. They have been featured on ABC, Fox 26 and CW39 as the only dance company that combines Bollywood dance and magic, as was showcased in their last major event, Bollywood Blast 2013 at the Miller Outdoor Theatre.

So what’s next on the cards? “We have a variety of shows and concerts coming up. We are also looking forward to Infusion 2014, our 4th annual recital!”, Bose-Kumar revealed. Preparations are already under way for the event, featuring student dance performances, set to take place on October 4, 2014. They are also currently enrolling students aged 3 to adult for their Spring session.

For further information, visit www.infusedperformingarts.com or call 72-INFUSED-8 (724-638-7338). Follow Infused Performing Arts on Facebook (facebook.com/InfusedPerformingArts) and Twitter (@infuseddance) for all their upcoming events.