But after a few minutes, they exchanged their traditional garb for UNC T-shirts and added American step and break-dancing moves to their act as colored lights flashed and the crowd cheered and clapped.
Their performance was typical of the annual Sangam Nite, now in its 16th year -- an evening filled with dances and skits that fused aspects of traditional South Asian culture with modern American elements.
The opportunity to compare traditional values with modern American culture is one of the most important aspects of Sangam Nite, said Surabhi Aggarwal, a graduate student at UNC who moved to the United States from India one year ago.
"I feel that if (students of South Asian decent) have been born and brought up here, (Sangam Nite) is important," she said. "It exposes them to traditional language and culture -- and plus it's very entertaining."
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He said the crowd for last year's show filled Memorial Hall, the campus's largest venue.
This year, because Memorial Hall is closed for construction, Parikh said, Sangam officials decided to hold two shows, which both sold out, adding a performance Friday night at the Hindu Bhavan Hall in Morrisville.
"(Friday) was for the community," he said. "(Saturday) is for students and friends."
On Saturday, Sangam members, their parents, other UNC students and even students from other universities made up the standing-room-only crowd that filled the Great Hall with applause all night. "It's not just that (the crowd) liked it," Tanakia said. "They loved it. It really brings your spirits up."
Members of the enthusiastic audience were not only entertained by the dances and skits but also educated about South Asian culture, Parikh said.
He estimated that 60 percent of the crowd was of South Asian descent while the remaining 40 percent were students of other descents.
Senior Jigna Patel, who performed one of the dances, said the diverse audience increased the educational value of all the performances. "(Sangam Nite) is a good opportunity to introduce the culture not only to South Asians but also to others at UNC," she said.
But it was perhaps the performers' parents who were most excited to see the mix of traditional and modern values that characterized Sangam Nite, Parikh said. "(The show) conveys a message: We are keeping South Asian culture alive," he said. "It's a great benefit for parents to see their child keep the culture alive."
The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.
