Dancers need no words to tell Indian stories

Students will be telling stories this weekend -- without using a single word.

The Hetzel Union Center for Arts and Crafts will sponsor a free performance of Bharatanatyam, a form of classical Indian dance, at 1 p.m. Sunday in the HUB Assembly Room.

Six of the performers in this weekend's show are students in a non-credit class titled "Bharatanatyam: South Indian Classical Dance." The seventh performer is their teacher, Naina Michaud-Agrawal.

Michaud-Agrawal (freshman-marketing and international business), said the dance is often reflective of gods such as Krishna, Lord Vishnu and Lord Ganesh. The upcoming four-part performance will use alternating dancers to portray the story of Krishna's progression from childhood to adulthood, Michaud-Agrawal said.

A native of Canada, Michaud-Agrawal originally took jazz, tap and ballet classes. But after her mother took her to see performances of Bharatanatyam years ago, her interest in this form of dance grew.

After eight years of study, she attained the highest degree of achievement in the field by completing the graduation ceremony called Arangetram. As a teacher, Michaud-Agrawal tries to emphasize the skill of expression to her students.

"The art form is one-half expression of emotion and one-half technical," she said.

Bharatanatyam student Cyndi Tsai (graduate-industrial engineering) agreed that the dance style is "extremely expressionistic."

Classmate Mary Hildenbrand studied more traditional forms of dance for years before learning Bharatanatyam.

"I had an interest to try something new," Hildenbrand said about her desire to learn Bharatanatyam.

Marla Jaksch, coordinator of the Hetzel Union Center for the Arts and Crafts hopes the program will create interest in the non-credit arts and crafts classes the center offers. She said the event is for the enjoyment of the community at large.

"The event will expose students to the diversity that we have and to (University students') talents," she said.