Priyanka Roy, Promisree Choudhury and Dasuni Jeewandlka dance at India night on Thursday night in the Memorial Union Ballroom. Photo by Nicholas Nelson/The Dakota Student.

From the captivating music to the talented dancers and intricate clothing, India Night was an entertaining program from start to finish. The annual event drew in a large crowd, packing the ballroom at Memorial Union on Thursday night.

The event, previously held in the Loading Dock, had to move to fit the crowd that has grown larger every year.

The audience came ready to experience India’s rich culture with music, dancing, food and trivia.

“All of the credit goes to the students,” advisor of the Student Association of India Sharlette Sedan said. ”They’re the ones that put it all together.”

After a few technical difficulties with the sound system, the night started off with a traditional Indian dance to welcome the audience.

“We’ve been practicing for about two months,” dancer Promisree Choudhury said. “We aren’t professionals, so we put a lot of time into it.”

The three dancers, Priyanka Roy, Promisree Choudhury and Dasuni Jeewandlka, came on the stage wearing ornate clothing made in India for the performance. After making multiple calls to the clothing maker about fittings and details, the bright red and cream ensembles, covered with sequins and flowers made a beautiful impact to the dance.

“This is the first year we did matching outfits,” Choudhury said. “We usually all dress differently.”

After the dance, president Aditya Arora came on to the stage to welcome the audience, saying “Namaste,” which he explained is a mixture of hello, welcome and good day.

The next dance performance, showcasing the different regions of India featured Arora along with Harpa Lind and other dancers.

They captivated the audience, dancing to mostly traditional Indian music. A surprise came when they mixed in a beat from “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore. They also brought in saaps, which are wooden props used by Bhangra dancers to create a clapping sound.

Surprisingly, not all of the performers and members of the Student Association of India are actually from India. Harpa, a graduate student from Iceland, has been a member of the association for a number of years because she is an admirer of the Indian culture. Another member of the association is from Saudi Arabia.

“We really wanted to bring awareness of India’s culture to students and the community,” Arora said. “And (we) are very pleased with the turnout.”

Perhaps one of the best parts of the evening was the food, featuring authentic Indian cuisine that was served at the end of the performances. The menu included veg samosa, naan, aloo gobi masala, chicken tikka masala, peas pulao and mango cake.

“I wanted to learn more about the Indian culture, and I really liked seeing all of the different outfits with all of the bright colors,” UND junior Leah Schiller said. “And the food sounded really good.”

Ashley Carlson is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected].