Niji Shah: This Is Who I Am

Niji Shah

Niji Raas

Niji Raas

Name: Niji Shah

Year: Sophomore

Major: International Studies and Anthropology with Global Service and Peace Corps Certificate

Hometown: Dyer, IN

Dance History: Bollywood and raas

Niji Shah was fortunate to be exposed to raas before coming to Indiana University, and she is now an active member of IU HoosierRaas. She looks forward to serving as a captain for the 2018-2019 season since dance plays such an integral role in her identity; it is the direct conduit to her family and culture. Although she lives in America, Niji considers herself to be monocultural since she most strongly identifies with Indian culture. She notes that although “the entire day I was in America doing American things but from 9 to 11pm I’m expressing my heritage.” What makes raas even more special for Niji is that she shares this artistic history with both her mother and her grandmother who engaged with the art form during their childhood. Since attending college renders her unable to pray with them at the temple or cook with them in the kitchen, practicing everyday helps her to “still feel Indian.” Interestingly, when she does raas or watches bhangra she says she feels “more in tune with previous precedents of Indian culture,” but bollywood makes her feel like a part of modern India. The greatest power of dance is its ability to “tie [her] worlds together” by “bridging different types of understanding.” For example, she believes that since we brought raas to America, we mix the two worlds by adding modern elements into our performances. This can come in the form of American songs, popular moves, or general performance demeanor. She also says that what makes dance special to her is the people with whom she dances, since they make the experience all the more special. Because of everything the art form has given her, she tries “to get the message out as much as [she] can and recruit people.” She wishes to share this experience with as many individuals as possible, whether that’s through simply viewing a performance or dancing alongside her. With regards to the continuance of the raas team at IU, she says “if it dies down it is a disservice to people in the community.” A very poignant observation she made is that modern practitioners of dance have the power to transform their dance because “living here we are able to incorporate aspects from a bunch of different subcultures,” once again tying together a variety of worlds. For Niji, dance is the one thing she does more than anything; “more than food and more than prayer, dance helps me identify by saying this is who I am, this is what I’m doing, and this is what my people have been doing.”