Press Releases

For Immediate Release
Press Contact:
Alka Joshi
650-224-7580 cell
408-270-6413 direct
alka.joshi@evc.edu

EVC Students Showcase Desi Dance and Fashion

In the true spirit of diversity, South Indian, Hispanic, and Vietnamese students and faculty participated in a Desi Club dance and fashion show on the Evergreen Valley College campus on Friday, April 13.  Desi, which refers to the South Asian diaspora, represents a variety of cultures, languages, and religions from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Nasreen Rahim, a Desi Club Advisor and member of EVC faculty, who helped organize the evening, said, “While we may be from varying parts of the globe with different cultural histories, here we are one community with many things to offer.”

The first half of the colorful evening showcased an energetic Bhangra dance, originally a celebration of the harvest, and now popular with Desi youth, who are fusing the dhol drum beats and flutes with hip-hop and electronic music. This was followed by Kathak—a classical dance form noteworthy for the rhythmic footwork and storytelling through symbolic movements— and a Bangladeshi folk dance about a maiden lost on a river in a small boat. But it was the eight young girls from Kasturi Basu’s Dance School who stole the show with their dance of rose petals to the Lord Jagannath in a classic Odissi dance.

The Fashion show featured colorful saris, mirrored and beaded Rajasthani gowns, sequined lehengas, and traditional salwar kameez. EVC President David Wain Coon performed the final walk onto stage in a handsome black embroidered sherwani alongside English faculty member Roohi Voora in a rich embroidered sari.

Another member of the EVC faculty and a Desi Club Advisor, Joy Chase, summed up the event by saying, “Cultural celebrations provide us with an opportunity to keep tradition alive, and by including people from other communities, traditions evolve into new, shared ancestries.”

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About Evergreen Valley College

With student learning as its primary focus, Evergreen Valley College’s mission is to empower students to expand their human potential and to succeed in a global, multicultural society. The College, which sits on a picturesque 175-acre site in the eastern foothills of San Jose, provides access to comprehensive and flexible post-secondary education to prepare students of all ages and backgrounds for balanced and productive lives and to improve the workforce and quality of life in our community.