JHU Shakti, Johns Hopkins's competitive Indian classical dance team, won first place at the Origins National Dance Championship in Chicago on April 12. Their performance, which was choreographed by team co-captains Ananya Ashok, Maya Britto, and Simren Shah, told the story of a young girl killed by caste discrimination.
"I'm still in disbelief about it," Britto says. "I think we are the only private university that's ever been to the national championship. When they finally announced that we were first, we had all given up hope of even placing."
Although Indian classical dance traditionally tells stories from religion, history, and mythology, modern teams also use the style to discuss social issues or show their love for pop culture.
"Even though us three [the team captains] were the ones who choreographed our dance, everyone's equally passionate about performing, creating, and just being in that space," Ashok says. "We all learn different kinds of Bharatanatyam dance, so each person dances a little differently and has their own style, which makes it a lot more collaborative."
The story told in Shakti's performance begins with a temple being built. The head priest declares that the building will be closed off to lower-caste people. Eventually, a rebellious young girl from a nearby village questions why she is not allowed to pray inside the temple. Her brother warns that it is forbidden, but she sneaks in anyway. She is then caught by the head priest, who strikes her skull with a massive blow. Although she is able to leave the temple, she does not survive the trip home. Her brother finds her body and mourns over it with the entire village. Soon, his grief turns to determination as he leads the villagers to the temple, resolved to enter by force. Once they break down the door, the villagers marvel at the beauty of the temple and the gods they were denied the right to see.
Video credit: RGBTV
The Indian caste system is a rigid, hierarchical social structure that splits people into four main groups. A person's caste is passed down through their family and traditionally dictates what professions they can work in. The system has existed in India for about 3,000 years. Although caste discrimination was made illegal when the country declared independence in 1947, inequality and prejudice have persisted into the 21st century.
"We felt like it was an important story to tell, and dance is just the language that we know best," Britto says.
In order to qualify for nationals, dance teams must enter regional competitions. The eight highest-scoring teams from around the country then meet each spring to compete for the top prize.
This year marked Shakti's second time qualifying for nationals. Second went to a team from Rutgers University, and a team form the University of Washington placed third.
