ONE PULSE held its inaugural multicultural dance showcase in the Anderson Center on Saturday. The diverse vision of Lakshmi D. Bulathsinghala MA ‘10, Ph.D. ‘18, an instructor of theatre and in the Translation Research and Instruction Program at Binghamton University, was executed through the combined talent and dedication of on- and off-campus multicultural organizations.

Bulathsinghala began working on the event with the hope of uniting the University’s community through a shared love of dance. Throughout her time at the University, she has witnessed students rehearsing for their own cultural showcases and hopes to create an environment that would highlight all of their efforts. The name of the event was made to pay homage to the unity found at the center of the event.

“That is why our multicultural showcase got this special name: ONE PULSE,” Bulathsinghala wrote in an email. “I wanted a name that would celebrate everyone’s identities. That is who we are as a community. We are different but we are similar at the same time. That is ONE PULSE for us.”

Bulathsinghala assembled a team of students and faculty to help bring this vision to life. Tejasree Narisetty, member of the organizing committee for ONE PULSE and a sophomore majoring in philosophy, politics and law, expressed the goal they had in mind while planning the event.

“We realized that each culture had unique individual events but we wanted a way to bring them together so everyone can share a stage and be equally spotlighted,” Narisetty wrote in an email. “We also wanted to give students who are not in a campus org [a chance] to participate because our campus has lots of talent but we may miss it if it’s not present among chartered organizations.”

Through a series of auditions, the ONE PULSE team formed a unique group of organizations that represent the diversity not only of the University, but the greater Binghamton area as a whole.

Opening the showcase was Jithendra Vidyapathy MA ‘25, a professional Sri Lankan contemporary dancer and choreographer, performing Kandyan dance. This traditional Sri Lankan dance style originated in the fourth century BCE to expel natural disasters and sickness. Vidyapathy has danced in over 40 tours across 27 countries and started the showcase off strong with this ancient dance form.

Crossing continents, the audience was treated to traditional Irish dance styles from Binghamton Irish Dance, a student-run performance group, and Carle Irish Dance. Both groups highlighted the rich tradition of footwork and storytelling passed down through generations. Carle Irish Dance, a Johnson City-based studio, added to the mission of the event by highlighting the work of those in the local community.

Highlighting African American culture, MajorNoir Dance Team and X-Fact’r Step Team performed next. MajorNoir is Binghamton’s first Black majorette dance team, formed to highlight the wide variety of Black dance across the diaspora. Xpressionism of African Culture Through Rhythm, or X-Fact’r, incorporates cheerleading, military and drill-team moves to educate on African culture.

Continuing on the showcase were Desi KalaKaar and Binghamton Bhangra, two groups showcasing the range of Indian dance. Binghamton Bhangra, founded in 2006, performed traditional Punjabi folk dance with the hope of sharing their rich cultural heritage. Desi KalaKaar is an independent group of students aiming to showcase Bharatanatyam and Kathak — two classical dance styles present in North and South India. Together, these styles combine to represent a variety of dances originating from the nation.

Along with cultural dances, Evolution Dance Company and Collision gave multigenre performances. EDC is a student-run organization designed to teach 10 different styles of dance to anyone of any skill level willing to learn. Collision, a dance team formed in fall 2024, has a more hip-hop style focus to display their dynamic energy and powerful dance style. Both groups performed to a medley of popular songs from artists ranging from Troye Sivan to Bad Bunny, getting the crowd as energized as their dancers.

Finally, Unkai Daiko and Kung Fu Club highlighted their culture through their percussion performances. Unkai Daiko, a student organization founded in 2023, focused on the traditional Japanese Art of taiko drumming. Members performed a piece entitled “Mata Ne,” an upbeat composition made in 2015. The Kung Fu Club interacted with the audience in their Lion Dance performance as two lions, made up of two members each, walked up and down the auditorium’s aisles while a large drum played in the background.

Awards were handed out based on popularity, teamwork, costumes and choreography. Celia Klin, dean of Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, presented awards to the winners. Popularity with the audience was measured with live voting throughout the event, with MajorNoir as the winners. Best teamwork, costumes and choreography were decided by a panel of judges and were awarded to Collision, Desi KalaKaar and Binghamton Bhangra, respectively.

Klin spoke highly of the event and the way its multitude of acts reflect the community.

“You add to all of that, a celebration of movement, of costumes, of color, of music and all the better when it’s across so many styles of dance and so many cultures and identities,” Klin said. “And it’s really, what one of our hosts said so well, the best in many ways of what Binghamton University has to offer.”

Bulathsinghala closed out the afternoon, thanking all those who made the event possible. She also shared hopes to make the event an annual tradition, and reaffirmed her and the University’s commitment to fostering diversity. The organizing team echoed this sentiment as they hoped those present would be able to appreciate the uniting nature of dance.

“I hope people who come to this event will see how connective dance can be,” Narisetty wrote. “The showcase is called ‘OnePulse’ because despite every difference we have, people can always be united through art. We wanted people to be able to see and appreciate how rich diversified cultures are at Binghamton.”