11th annual Dhirana competition appreciates and embraces classical Indian dance

The “Game of Thrones” theme song played in the background as the audience watched a child bride named Bulbul learn about a demon witch who enjoys killing men on stage. Dancers moved in a synchronous circle to depict the witch’s killing tactics. 

More than 200 students and parents gathered in the August Wilson African American Cultural Center’s theater Saturday evening — along with another 1,900 viewers via Youtube livestream — to watch Dhirana’s 11th annual competition. Dhirana is Pitt’s premier collegiate classical Indian dance competition, and a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 to foster classical dance interest in the Pittsburgh community. 

Hailing all the way from Texas, TAMU Sahithya won first place with their dance depicting feminine rage and the horrors of child marriage and domestic violence. JHU Shakti and Purdue Aharya won second and third place, respectively. Dancers dressed in traditional Bharatanatyam costumes in a variety of color combinations such as blue and pink, red and green and purple and orange.

Yamini Yepuri, Dhirana’s co-director and a junior psychology major, said Dhirana’s goal is to appreciate classical dance.

“One of the most incredible things for us this weekend was that we had one of the teams come up to us and say that they had such a great experience here and it makes them want to start their own competition,” Yepuri said. “So that’s really the main goal of all of this, to encourage people to just take it upon themselves to keep this beautiful art form going.”

Pitt’s Indian classical music organization, Pitt Sangeet, performed before the competition began.  

Tufts Pulse won the Dr. Parvathi Perisetti Gutti Memorial Award, administered by Srinivasa Prasad International Foundation for the Performing Arts, the lead sponsor for the competition and a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the arts through cultural festivals. RPI Rudras also won Best Mix for seamless musical transitions, and OSU Anayat won Best Lead for their portrayal of Rukmini from the sacred book Rukmini Swayamvar.

Somya Thakur, the other co-director and a junior business information systems and marketing major, said Dhirana gives her the opportunity to merge her two passions together — dance and helping the community — which she is thankful for.

Thakur said all proceeds that Dhirana make go toward Birmingham Free Clinic of Pittsburgh, which provides free medical care for Pittsburgh’s underserved population. Dhirana has raised more than $105,000 for the organization since it began.

“The Birmingham Free Clinic is the organization to which we donate every year and it was really, really eye-opening to see the crazy amount of work they’ve put into the community,” Thakur said. “They were flourishing even during the pandemic, and they just give back so much to the community that it makes it so meaningful that I can merge my passions of the classical arts and just help an organization that is so interested in giving back to the community.”

After the competition, other groups performed as exhibition acts, including performances by First Class Bhangra, Mastana, Steel City Raas and the host team Nrityamala to showcase other aspects of Indian culture. 

Yepuri said her friend’s reaction to the performances made her feel proud of the showcase. 

“The photographer for the event is one of my friends, and he’s never seen or photographed any classical arts or anything like that before,” Yepuri said. “After the competition, he came up to me and he said it was one of the coolest experiences ever. This art form is filled to the brim with so much culture, and he was awestruck by the performances and the stories and the efforts that went into all of these pieces.”

Dharma Ayer, RPI Rudras public relations chair and a junior biology major at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, said the organization was “happy” to win the best mix award. She added that participating in classical dance keeps her connected to her culture. 

“I’ve been doing Bharatanatyam for 15 years now, and it’s just the best way for me to connect with my culture while simultaneously having an amazing group of people to dance and spend time with,” Ayer said. “I love that I have a built-in outlet every week where I can work with those around me to create something meaningful to all of us.”

Ellen Fabian, a senior marketing and supply chain management major, said she’s grateful to witness the dances and stories told through each one.

“I’m grateful that I was able to experience the beauty of Indian classical dance because I haven’t been that exposed to it,” Fabian said. “My favorite part though was seeing the stories come to life on stage, because I wouldn’t have expected them to capture topics like gender equality and abuse.”

Thakur said the competition wouldn’t be possible without support from Dhirana’s members who were willing to help in any capacity.  

“Genuinely, our executive board and committees are the only reason the show ran because they were all so dedicated, and willing to adapt with us,” Thakur said. “These students took the initiative to get this stuff done, and it’s so impressive that college students are able to put on something that is this scale.”