The idea of gaining instant stardom and having your talent recognized on a national scale is something many people only dream of.
“America’s Got Talent” is just one in a string of recent reality shows that give anybody the chance to make that dream a reality.
One Asian Pacific American dance team from this university received a special opportunity in early November to see if they have what it takes to showcase their talents to people across the nation.
The members of Moksha, a classical Indian dance team, choreograph dances that integrate contemporary music with different styles of Indian dance and storylines to create a unique piece of performance art, said Moksha co-captain Ramya Tallapragada.
In September, Moksha was selected to perform at Kollaboration DC’s 2011 show at the University of the District of Columbia, organized by a non-profit organization that aims at inspiring and showcasing young APAs who exhibit talent or interest in the arts with “empowerment through entertainment.”
It was after participating in Kollaboration DC that the team was contacted by a representative from NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” who had seen a video of their performance.
On Nov. 5, the team auditioned in front of the show’s representatives in Washington, D.C.
“We were very happy with our performance,” said Tallapragada, adding that all the dancers were in form. “I think it had to do with the amount of energy and excitement we all had going into the audition.”
Tallapragada added that “auditioning for [‘America’s Got Talent’] was a natural step in the direction of bringing our dance form to a larger community than we would have ever imagined.”
The team is definitely nervous at the possibility of being showcased on such a large stage but “we recognize that [‘America’s Got Talent’] is a prestigious platform for artists to express themselves,” she said.
Moksha isn’t the only team from the university to make a run for the grand prize.
During the summer of 2011, the university’s Gymkana made it to the semi-finals of the show with their gymnastic performances.
Kelsey Clark, a junior biology major and member of Gymkana said that since appearing on “America’s Got Talent,” the troupe has gotten a lot more attention.
“People actually know who we are now,” she said. “We got a lot more requests for shows all over the country, instead of just Maryland.”
Moksha hopes that the exposure the show would bring could help them gain similar success and help give American audiences a better understanding of Indian dance.
Bollywood is the dance form American audiences most associate with Indian culture, but despite the popularity, it is in no way completely representative of all Indian dance, Tallapragada said.
“There are styles of dance that are distinct from one another, each originating from a different region and culture in India,” she said.
With dance and music being so intertwined within Indian culture, there is no one definitive style.
“Indian classical dance is a genre, not a style,” she added.
Not only does Tallapragada hope that Moksha will be able to give a strong representation of Indian classical dance to the country, but they also want to represent the university well.
“The University of Maryland is extremely diverse in its student body,” Tallapragada said. “Being on the show would allow the nation to see that diversity and variety first hand.”
Junior hearing and speech sciences major Cate Browne thinks that Moksha will bring both good publicity and diversity to the university, if they are chosen to appear on the show.
“We are a really diverse and tolerant campus,” Browne said. “I think this venture and the amount of support they would get from the campus would really show that to the country.”
Moksha will not receive a decision from “America’s Got Talent” for a few months.
Until then, the team will continue to raise awareness of their art form and continue to educate their audiences both on-campus and off.
