Dressed in blue, red, yellow and pink — they came to dance, leaving their shoes at the door. About 200 UF students twirled in wavering circles Sunday night.
In UF’s Florida Gym, the Indian Students Association celebrated Navratri, an annual, nine-day Hindu celebration of goodness in India. While the club danced off campus last year, this term ISA brought the event to campus to accommodate more students, said Neal Trivedi, the event’s director.
Women in long, colorful outfits topped with sashes and jewelry complimented one another. Men in long shirts were quiet on the sidelines until they began dancing.
"It’s a really joyous time," said Radhika Gopalan, the president of ISA.
"I just like staying in tune with my roots," the 21-year old psychology and sociology senior said.
A live band, Sur Bahaar of Melbourne, performed traditional Indian music as the crowd rejoiced, dancing around the gym’s wooden floor in unison.
The crowd danced garba, an Indian dance typical of the Navratri celebration.
But everyone had their own adaptations to the choreography, Gopalan said, who had henna designs covering her wrists and hands.
Ujjval Vyas, one of the singers for the night, said the atmosphere was electric. As the band’s drummer sped up his stick work, the dancers responded with faster, more emphasized movements.
"It’s a lot of fun to sing when you have a crowd like this," Vyas said during an intermission.
In India, Navratri draws thousands of people, Vyas said. When he was 16, he attended his first festival there. Now, he’s in his 40s, and he said he travels the country performing for revelers.
While the majority of participants claimed Indian heritage, all ethnicities were represented.
Andrew Klein, a UF physics freshman, stood barefoot on the sidelines after dancing in the rotation.
"It’s impressive," the 18-year-old said. "And they’re all very well dressed."
Gopalan said seeing people of other backgrounds embrace the Indian culture makes her happy.
"I really like sharing our culture with them," she said.
