Drums, flutes, and cymbals filled the air as a small crowd gathered on the Los Gatos Library’s front lawn to watch a solo dancer perform the Bharatanatyam, a classic southern Indian dance style accompanied by Carnatic music.
Dancing barefoot in the grass, Sriya Venkatesan’s ankles chimed with bells as she moved through graceful, geometric positions, telling the story of a Hindu goddess. The crowd watched, captivated by her dramatic facial expressions.
“Traditionally the dance was performed in temples, so ankle bells carried the rhythm to the back of the room. The eye make-up is dramatic. You want everyone to notice your expressions,” Venkatesan said, referring to her black lined eyes and ruby rouged lips.
Venkatesan has performed at many multicultural events.
“I’ve never seen Azerbaijan culture shared before,” the Pleasanton dancer said. “Their dances were enjoyable to watch.”
Arnav Singhal was one of five Youth Commissioners on the Community Outreach adhoc. “Our main goal was to get Los Gatos to appreciate our culture and diversity,” he said.
With zero budget, the pressure was on for the Youth Commission to find supporters of the event.
“The library supplied tables and chairs, and allowed us to use the front lawn,” said Singhal. “Los Gatos High School helped out with flags for each country.”
“Originally we had twenty-five booths sign up,” said Singhal. The event had advertised to represent cultures from across the globe, but changing the date of the event caused scheduling conflicts.”
Other setbacks included a lack of electricity on the lawn, forcing the Azerbaijani dancers to the Civic Centre Plaza, and world flags donated by Los Gatos High School went unseen due to difficulties hanging them around the lawn.
“This is our first attempt,” said Singhal. “Next year, we hope to get permits for live music and food vendors.”
Rhea Vidhun’s booth was a crowd pleaser with bright rangoli—decorative floor art used in Indian celebrations—symbolizing joy and good fortune. Vidhun assisted attendees with temporary henna tattoos applications and bindis.
Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Chief Jamie Field spent some time learning from Vidhun.
“She happily took a bindi home to share Indian culture with her daughter,” he said.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission hosted a booth, and the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department handed out police ID stickers to children.
Mayor Rob Moore called the event a “wonderful” way to showcase local vibrancy.
“It is beautiful to see how much young people have put into celebrating the diversity of our community, and ensuring that everyone feels welcome in our town,” he said. “I’m excited to see this event continue to grow in the years to come.”
Dressed in traditional clothing, Alexandra Shvets quizzed a passerby on their Belarusian knowledge, while Maxim Shvets showed examples of traditional embroidery on an antique table runner.
“Belarus is not a well-known country,” Maxim Shvets said. “But, it’s rich in culture and history.”
An array of images displayed magnificent Belarusian architecture throughout the ages: medieval fortifications, Romanesque palaces, Gothic castles and Baroque cathedrals.
Huong Le, a Los Gatos resident, represented Vietnam. Le dressed in a light green áo dài embroidered with the traditional symbol for longevity. In Vietnam, áo dàis are worn year-round as school uniforms, and when attending weddings, but especially during Tết, Vietnamese Lunar New Year, celebrating the arrival of Spring. It is customary to wear a new áo dài at the beginning of the year in Vietnam.
Le has also shared her culture at Van Meter Elementary, as part of their diversity celebrations.
Le loves sharing Vietnamese cuisine with others.
“Food brings people together,” Le said. “Phở is so mainstream now, and it has so much to offer.”
The Azerbaijan table was laden with tapestries, musical instruments, recipe books and a golden samovar set.
Bringing authentic Azerbaijani items to the United States is a community endeavor.
“When friends and family travel, they bring back items that we need,” said Seva Khalilzade, 11, while demonstrating how to use a qaval.
Nurlan Shukurlu, president of the Azerbaijan Cultural Society of Northern California, encouraged attendees to join their dancers to perform the yalli, a lively circle dance signifying unity and strength. Onlookers clapped in time to the music, while others whooped and cheered.
“The start-up with Indian dancing was amazing,” Singhal said. “Watching everyone dance together was inspiring. To celebrate our diversity while coming together is what it’s all about.”
