Big Apple dances to Indian beat, asks for more

NEW YORK: Imagine this. You're in New York's theatre district — home to Broadway, the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking world and of cult musicals like Phantom of the Opera, Chicago and Lion King. Then, on a Sunday evening, an entourage of Indian dancers walk into the Lincoln Centre — ostensibly to celebrate 60 years of Indian Independence. By the time they're ready to perform, the Avery Fisher Hall is packed to capacity with three thousand people inside — and, heaven alone knows how many more outside hoping to get in.

When the show finally started, those inside the hall were witness to a 45-minute performance that assaulted the senses mercilessly with sound and colour only India can think up. It is unclear whether veterans on Broadway had seen anything like this before — but, then, it's unclear whether many Indians had either. It is not everyday that all of the five major Indian dance forms fuse into one performance explained Kabir Bedi, master of ceremonies at the show. "I was once married to a dancer, so I know," he said.

Without doubt, the performers deserved a standing ovation. They got it and the Incredible India@60 campaign in New York City was finally off to the dream start it was hoping for. Outside the hall, a dinner created by five chefs flown in from India was laid out. "We worked really hard for this one moment," said Nandan Nilekani, co-chairman, Infosys and part of the committee that organised the event.

Those who wanted more took taxis to the New York public library a few blocks away where sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and a formal sit-down-dinner waited. The cream of Indian policy makers including P Chidambaram, Kamal Nath, Montek Singh Ahluwalia broke bread with Henry Kissinger, former US secretary of state, Senator Charles Schumer and Brazilian trade minister Celso Amorin.

Ironically, Henry Kissinger had once said "The Indians are bastards." That was shortly before India went to war with Pakistan in 1971. "So if you ask me what about the things I said in 1971," Kissinger said at the dinner, "I now say, I am a convert," to applause.

"Since then, the centre of gravity of the global financial system has shifted to the Pacific from the Atlantic and we want India to be part of it," he added. "Correction," said Kamal Nath, minister for commerce and industry.

"The centre of gravity is now shifting to the Indian Ocean and South China Sea and we want the US to be a part of it" to equally loud applause from an audience that had all of India's corporate heavyweights in attendance including Sunil Mittal of Bharti, Deepak Parekh of HDFC, Gautam Thapar of BILT and C K Birla of Hindustan Motors.

Earlier in the day, curious New Yorkers spent time at Bryant Park near Times Square where a perky Indian compere kept telling everybody that India has arrived. Her hyperbole was interrupted by loud Bollywood music and more traditional dance performances from every part of the country. "Don't forget," she kept insisting, "everybody on stage here has come from India to give New York a taste of what India is like."

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com