With the hundreds of clubs at UNC, Ek Taal is maybe one that missed your radar. Ek taal is a 12 beat used in Indian Classical music, and it is also the name of a club on campus that performs the ancient dance of Bharatanatyam.
“Bharatanayam tells a variety of stories, ranging from epic romances to religious stories,” explained co-captain Prianca Reddi.
It combines intricate footwork, hand gestures and facial expression to convey the tale the dance is telling.
To become trained in Bharatanayam, a disciple must go through seven to eight years of classes under a guru. At the end of this long training, a three-hour solo perfomance called an arangetram marks the beginning of his or her dancing career.
“Ek Taal brings those who have the training together to enrich the campus with cultural diversity through the universal art form of dance,” said Reddi.
The group does this by mixing dancing to Western music.
UNC’s Ek Taal has won numerous awards in shows and competitions since being founded in 2007. Tryouts are at the beginning of every semester, and open to those even with no prior experience with classical Indian dancing.
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