Colorful Performances at Rangoli Competition
October 13, 2007, the first night of Navratri, the Grand Opera House in Macon, GA, was full of energy in anticipation of one of the most awaited dance competitions in the area. The Indian Cultural Exchange of Mercer University hosted their 2nd Annual Cultural Competition, Rangoli, the only South Asian Dance Competition in Georgia. The purpose of this competition was not only to gather the nation's finest dance teams, but also to promote awareness of Indian culture and heritage in the greater community through a taste of Indian music and dance.
The Grand Opera House was embellished in an Indian fashion using one Rangoli, made of colorful sand, surrounded by diyas as the centerpiece to emphasize the theme of the night, Andhere Mein Roshni.
Twelve teams from across the nation competed for $3500 worth of cash prizes in two categories namely - Bhangra and Bollywood/Fusion. The Fusion Category Winner was Drexel University's Jhalak dance team, the Bhangra Category Winner was University of North Carolina's Bhangra Elite, and the Overall Best Winner was University of Georgia's Champa and Chameli, a fusion team from Athens, GA.
As the competition came to an end, the audience became more energetic in anticipation of the final act; the very first performance in the Southeast by the fastest rising artists in North America, ‘The Bilz and Kashif.' They performed a set of singles, the two most famous being, the hit singles 2 Step Bhangra and O Meri Rani. With an excellent performance, they left the stage amidst applause and screaming fans.
The competition would not have been possible without the aid of people who spent night and day preparing for the show, the very members of the Indian Cultural Exchange of Mercer University, along with all the prestigious sponsors of the night. The Grand Sponsors were Mercer University's Student Government Association and Quadworks, the Gold Sponsors were Desiclub, Indian Party, and KgXperiences, and the Bronze Sponsors were MMI South, Desi Threads, Desi Hits, and many more.
~Anjali Pattni
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