Holding a pose depicting the incarnation of the Lord Vishnu — which was conveyed through hand gestures known as mudras and intense facial expressions — Ananya Aedhu ’29 performs alongside her sister, Aashritha Aedhu. Ananya Aedhu describes the process of selecting and learning the dance. 

“‘Varaha Roopam’ was a song selected by my dad,” Aedhu said. “We learned the dance from our dance teacher, Akshaya, starting at the beginning of February.” 

The song, called “Varaha Roopam,” follows the divine boar form of Lord Vishnu, and was performed as a traditional Bharatnatyam dance by the duo to share their Hindu roots. Aedhu notes that the dance was designed to match the powerful meaning behind the song. 

“It was a really fun dance to learn. The song was really powerful, and we had to make sure that our dance was just as energetic as the song,” Aedhu said. “Our facial expressions matched with what we are showing and what the lyrics say.” 

After devoting countless hours into rehearsals and performances, Aedhu enjoys the ambience and opportunity to showcase her hard work at the Harvest Festival. 

“l love coming to the Harvest Festival every year and performing, as well as the food and the other performances,” Aedhu said.

Blasting the song “Madhubala,” Faizaan Ahmad ’27 energetically jumps into his next dance move, imitating the motion of unlocking a door. As Ahmad’s first year performing on stage for Harvest Festival, he recalls being amazed at the vibrant environment of the event. 

“Without a doubt, performing was my favorite part of the Harvest Festival. The atmosphere was incredible, especially from the students from West High who came to watch us,” Ahmad said. 

Although there was a large crowd of onlookers attending the event, Ahmad found that all of his nerves dissolved once he started performing. 

“I expected it to be nerve-wracking, but once we stepped on the stage, I couldn’t stop smiling because of the loud crowd,” Ahmad said. “Everyone coming together and cheering was genuinely such a high, and it made my night.” 

Hoisting a Punjab jaggo and pakhi, Jeet Sani dances to commemorate traditional Punjabi womanhood. The Harvest Festival presents an opportunity to display various subcultures across India, including this performance featuring 12 Punjabi women. Through this performance, the dancers offer a glimpse at Giddha — a traditional, energetic folk dance — with their bright outfits and expressions. 

Symbolic of celebration, the jaggo is a decorated pot filled with lamps and carried on the head during pre-wedding celebrations in Punjabi households. Traditionally, women parade through the neighborhood at night singing and dancing, inviting the community to join the festivities. Alongside it, the pakhi, a decorative hand fan, represents femininity and is often used in celebratory dances. 

Thara Rajagopal ’26 tilts her head, performing “Dilliwalli Girlfriend” in a contemporary Bollywood dance. To close the festival, seniors Asif Ali ’26, Shanza Sami ’26, Sudarshan Kasturirangan ’26 and Rajagopal performed a fusion of songs, also featuring “Lungi Dance,” “Marjaani” and “Hadippa.” Rajagopal emphasizes her satisfaction with the performance and her group members. 

“We worked hard to bring a good performance, and I’m really proud of my group. I hope the [other students] had fun with it too,” Rajagopal said.

The group plans on performing the senior dance at West’s annual Walk It Out show — a multicultural fashion show and performance — held in Arganbright Auditorium May 16, in addition to other South Asian dances. As the Walk It Out regional leader for South Asia, Rajagopal intends to embed four group performances into the program. 

“I’ve been excited to help run Walk It Out since my first [performance] when I was a freshman,” Rajagopal said. “This year, we want to get as many people involved as we can and make it a great show.” 

Emphasizing a deep devotion to the guru — or a spiritual teacher — three dancers leverage technical precision as they hold classical positions in their default post. Performed shortly after the festival’s intermission, dancers Harshali Bhosale, Shreeja Reddy and Varsha Narayana bend their knees in a traditional aramandi stance and extend their arms in mudras, mirroring each other’s movements while maintaining individual expressions. The Bharatanatyam performance, titled “Samarpanam,” references a Sanskrit term meaning “complete surrender” or a “whole-hearted offering.” 

Bharatanatyam is a 2,000 year old classical dance form originating from Tamil Nadu, India. A form of visual storytelling, its bright expressions and firm dancing movements render the performance style distinctive. Although this was one of many Bharatanatyam performances at the festival, the three performers made it notably memorable. 

With a loud rhythm mimicking the sound of a bell, the crowd claps to the beat as Bibisha Aryal ’28 kicks her performance off with “Tune Maari Entriyaan” in a contemporary Bollywood performance. The song is a high-energy dance number underlining a story about love at first sight. Given it was Aryal’s first time performing at the Harvest Festival, she didn’t know what the finished performance would yield. After investing the time, she found that the results exceeded her expectations. 

“I really enjoyed the feeling after we were done performing, because I felt so accomplished after putting in many days of work into learning dances. Balancing practice and school was hard sometimes, but I would do it again and again,” Aryal said. 

Aryal notes that, through the dance she got to perform alongside her classmates, she formed invaluable bonds that will last beyond the festival. 

“I got to form connections and friendships with people and sharpen up my dancing skills,” Aryal said. “Overall, Harvest is an amazing festival filled with culture and connection. It brings people together, even when there’s so much that can divide us.”  

Emphasizing their trust in each other, West parents Bhavita Bhatt and Rajan Bhatt lean on one another toward the conclusion of the performance. The romance-comedy dance featured students’ parents, conveying a satirical story about couples. The opening featured tired husbands scrubbing floors, until the wives eventually caught their attention. Attempting to woo the wives, the husbands offer them gifts until they eventually fall in love and dance at the conclusion. Rajan Bhatt notes that this unconventional performance was initially out of his comfort zone, but the rehearsals provided reassurance that the dance would be entertaining. 

“We were never the kind of couple who would dance on a stage. However, while preparing for this dance, we practiced, laughed through missed beats and eventually stepped onto a stage in front of a large Indian [audience],” Bhatt said. 

Bhatt believes that the vulnerability and relatability of the performance’s message is what led the dance to be so entertaining for the audience. 

“What started as nervous excitement turned into one of the most memorable experiences we’ve shared together,” Bhatt said. “It reminded us that sometimes stepping outside your comfort zone, hand in hand, can lead to moments of joy, confidence and connection that you never expected.”

Performed by several West students, this Bollywood fusion dance was one of the largest student-led performances. Sudarshan Kasturirangan ’26 reflects on the importance of sharing this culture, not only with the community, but with the fellow dancers he grew with along the way. 

“This dance in particular has a special place in my heart — it was an opportunity to have fun with some of my closest friends. These people might as well be my own brothers and sisters, as they’ve been with me through every significant chapter of my life,” Kasturirangan said. “To be able to dance and celebrate our culture with each other is a special gift.”

Kasturirangan remains close with many of his fellow dancers, including Bhatt, who choreographed the dance. Kasturirangan emphasizes that Bhatt’s time and effort was evident in the performance. 

“Kavya is a very thoughtful and passionate person, and it really shows when she organizes the dance. Using her extensive knowledge of Bollywood choreography, she taught four very complex dance sequences. Any other person would shy away from this sort of ordeal, but Kavya stepped up and put the show on its wheels,” Kasturirangan said. 

As the oldest performer in the group, Kasturirangan reflects on his time spent at the Harvest Festival and the significance of performing as a senior. 

“Senior dances are a big thing — for me, it’s closing a very important chapter of my life. I’ve grown up sharing culture, enjoying music and dancing with my peers through events such as the Harvest Festival and Walk It Out,” Kasturirangan said. “From my perspective, dance gives back to the community that raised me, as well as celebrates how far I’ve come.”