While in high school at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, Swati Desai sought a way to share the beauty and elegance of her Indian culture. With dance being a large part of the traditions and customs of the culture, as well as the Hindu religion, Swati and a group of friends formed a dance group as a means of sharing with others.
Shortly after enrolling at MSU, the industrial engineering major knew she wanted to continue the experience and promptly formed Nach—an Indian word for dance—and began performing around campus.
Now a junior, Swati leads the 10-member group in performing dances in a variety of styles, including Bollywood, Kathak, Punjab, and Gujarat while wearing traditional Indian dresses. They are invited to perform at numerous events on campus, as well as the surrounding area, and will be performing at the International Fiesta hosted by the World Neighbors Association in March.
"It is a good experience to be able to share a part of my culture with everyone," Swati said. "Through our dances, they can see how beautiful and colorful our culture and religion are. Hinduism in a lot of ways is very different from other religions, but in many ways it is very similar."