South Indian dance wows crowd at Stevenson

Colorfully adorned dancers performing in the South Indian dance form known as Bharata Natyam entertained a crowd of nearly 400 at Stevenson High School on Sunday.

The performance by the Natya Dance Theatre was sponsored by the Vernon Area Public Library and Stevenson High School Foundation.

"I had my eye on this group for a while after seeing them perform at the Art Institute downtown," said Roz Topolski, adult program coordinator for the library. "I wanted to offer something that would connect with the community."

Dancers created beautiful hand movements as they moved in rhythm around the stage to a stomping beat.

"This kind of dance theater is rooted in the classical dance theater of India," said Hema Rajagopalam, artistic director for Natya Dance Theatre, which is celebrating its 40th year. "We use hand gestures and arm movements and storytelling through expressions and mime."