Pennaach
| PENNaach | |
|---|---|
 The PENNaach team, 2015-2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Website | pennaach.com |
Pennaach, often stylized as PENNaach, is the University of Pennsylvania’s premier South Asian fusion dance team. An internationally award-winning, all-female dance troupe, Naach is the first South Asian fusion group to win university recognition and is the oldest surviving collegiate dance team of its kind. As a South Asian fusion team, Naach incorporates music and dance styles from both South Asian and Western traditions. In addition to their annual production, Naach performs on and off campus as guest acts and at various South Asian cultural events.
History
Pennaach was founded in October 1997 by Vaishali Shah, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, to promote South Asian art and culture through a combination of traditional, classical, and modern dance. Each show typically begins with a “Divo” dance, performed by returning members of the team using traditional diyas (candles) and focusing on classical dance styles. Other pieces may incorporate traditional styles like Lavni, Giddha, Garba, Bhangra, classical styles like Bharatnatyam, Kathak, and Odissi, Western styles like ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, and jazz with filmy/Bollywood dance.
Past productions
Starting in 1997, Pennaach has put on an annual show showcasing their choreography from the year, typically in mid-February. Each show follows a plot or theme while incorporating a variety of dance styles into each piece.
| Year | Show Theme |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Naachflix |
| 2015 | I Am Her |
| 2014 | Inception: It's Naach Just a Dream |
| 2013 | Until Proven Guilty |
| 2012 | All the Right Moves |
| 2011 | Naachional Geographic |
| 2010 | A Night with Naach |
| 2009 | Ready, Set...Naach! |
| 2008 | Kahaani Naach Ki: Once Upon a Time |
| 2007 | Naach on Demand |
| 2006 | Chori Chori: Mischief in Motion |
Other performances
Naach has performed at many other events on UPenn’s campus aside from their annual production. Many of these events follow a cultural theme, such as the UPenn South Asia Society’s annual cultural show or Asian and Pacific American Heritage Week or the school’s Diwali celebrations. They have also performed at charity events, such as UPenn’s annual Emily Sachs Dance Benefit and other school-sponsored events and performing arts nights. Outside of the university, Naach participates in cultural shows and showcases, such as Harvard University’s Raunak and Columbia University’s Naach Nation.
Members
Since it is made up of students at the University of Pennsylvania and occasionally from other schools in the Philadelphia area, such as Drexel University, University of Sciences, and Bryn Mawr College, Naach’s membership changes annually. Auditions take place twice a year, in the fall and in the spring, to bring in the new rookie class. Although the majority of Naach’s members are of Indian descent, not all members are or have been.
The current members of Naach are Anna Jose (President), Abha Kulkarni (Secretary), Séréna Tibrewala (Treasurer), Samy Lanka, Devi Nair, Aarsheya Hooda, Jane Koshy, Kanika Mohan, Mathangi Sridharan, Shreekari Tadepalli, Rajashree Mishra, Aishwarya Nadgauda, Snega Kalaparambath, and Veena Bhagavathi.
Alumnae
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Bhavi Vidyashankar, Helen Kim |
| 2014 | Mahima Govil, Priyanka Kothari, Aarthi Ramesh, Leslie Varughese, Bina Nayee, Carthi Mannikarottu, Vidya Nandapurkar, Surbhi Agrawal |
| 2013 | Amritha Sastry, Bhargavi Ammu, Manisha Taneja, Shriya Kaneriya |
| 2012 | Rithika Ramakrishnan, Surekha Nair, Suruchi Srikanth |
| 2011 | Prerana Bharadwaj, Sweta Patel, Vandana Rao, Jessica Idiculla |
| 2010 | Ranjani Venkataramanan, Priya Takiar, Supriya Challa, Rohini Venkatraman |
| 2009 | Radhika Sen, Piyali Sircar, Sarasijhaa Desikan, Naureen Hoque |
| 2008 | Vrinda Shah, Jamie Mathew, Hena Mehta, |
| 2007 | Niti Shah, Samhitha Udupa |
| 2006 | Merene Joseph, Divya Bhatt, Tani Chatterjee |
| 2005 | Ansu Mathew, Anjali Sud, Aarati Soman |
| 2004 | Nidhi Teerdhala, Neeta Shah, Veena Abraham |
| 2003 | Nina Vaid, Pooja Khetan, Nisha Singh, Sheila Ramgopal, Divani Nadaraja |
| 2002 | Sonal Nalkur, Konika Eli Bose |
| 2001 | Sunipa Bhattacharjee, Nidhi Talati, Brenda Sheth |
| 2000 | Vaishali Shah (founder), Rosemary Patel, Priya Chadha |
| 1999 | Soniya Sheth, Ami Shah |