UA students to perform in South Indian dance drama

The courageous spirit of prominent women lives on - through dance.

In a performance designed to heighten cultural appreciation of India, the India Cultural Association of Tucson will present the Arathi School of India Dancers in "Virangana" Saturday.

"Virangana," the Indian word for "courage," is a dance drama depicting the courage of five prevalent women in Indian history and mythology - Mother Teresa, Meera, Draupadi, Indira Gandhi and Radha.

Sue Umashankar, a University of Arizona marketing lecturer and president of the India Society of Southern Arizona, said the drama reflects the aspirations of both the women in the show and those that they portray.