You wouldn’t think that hip-hop and Indian saris go together. But on college campuses across New Jersey, they do.

Traditional Indian dance and the Bollywood scene have become a social phenomenon among the state’s growing population of Indian students. And non-Indians on campuses are starting to take notice.

The movement began as a way for children of South Asian immigrants to connect with their culture, but later it developed into dance competitions between groups and universities. It’s specially big at Rutgers. Last week, more than a dozen dance groups took part in the AIR show at the State Theater in New Brunswick, sponsored by the Association of Indians at Rutgers (www.ruair.net).

“I’m really excited about the whole buzz that Indian dance and our respective dance competitions have been making among the college population,” said Priya Samuel, a member of Rutgers South Asian Performing Artists, a competitive Indian dance team. “I am especially proud of seeing non-Indians perform as well because it shows that we all can enrich our individuality from so many cultures.”

Aditi Prakash, a singer in Rutgers Asian A Capella Group, added, “I think it is great that I found people here at Rutgers that can relate to my love of Indian music and dance as opposed to being in a school that isn’t as diverse.”

Indian dance incorporates both classical and modern elements. Classical dances include Kathak, Bhaatnatyam, and Garba; each has its own meaning and tradition, usually with a focus on religion and dancing to the gods.

The more modern dances stem from Bollywood films. The Hollywood of South Asia specializes in movies with big, colorful dance scenes with catchy, trendy beats. “There is a large Indian community at Rutgers, they are so into it,” said Christine Muglia, a member of RU Bhangra, named for a type of traditional Punjabi dance. She is one of the newcomers to the Indian music scene who is not of South Asian descent.

“The upbeat tempo of the newer Bollywood music is what I feel attracts most of the non-Indian listeners,” said Samuel.

Sanket Patel, president of AIR, noted next year is the 25th anniversary of the show and said, “I pledge for it to be the largest South Asian performance ever in the country.”

by NJ My Way contributor Angelica Grimaldi.