North Nachle is a South Asian dance team at Niles North, formed in the 2023-24 school year. The team performs a variety of pieces that highlight South Asian culture through dance, blending traditional and modern styles.

North Nachle primarily showcases Bollywood dance, along with hip-hop, Garba, and Bhangra. It blends traditional dance styles to create a vibrant, energetic experience that celebrates South Asian cultural heritage. 

Led by co-captains senior Tulsi Shah, junior Manya Gandhi, and sophomore Michaela Paramben, the team’s mission is to celebrate South Asian culture through dynamic dance performances. 

So far this year, North Nachle has performed at both the Unity Assembly and the Variety Show, showcasing their growing success. These events have helped establish their talent at a large stage set up. 

“The performance was exciting,” Paramben said. “At the Unity Assembly we had some issues with spacing—it wasn’t the best performance we’ve done—but there’s always room for improvement.”

North Nachle has been preparing for their biggest performance, SASA Night, by dedicating countless hours in refining their skills making sure every move is synchronized for their show.

“There is practice twice a week,” Shah said. “Right now we are still learning the dance, but by next week we should be able to clean the dance making sure everyone knows where they’re supposed to be.”

The team is open to everyone, and welcomes individuals with any level of experience to join. Whether you’re a seasonal dancer or a beginner, there’s a place for you to showcase your talents and growth.

“It’s a very non-judgemental zone,” Shah said. “I feel like sometimes with dance teams you get in to this place where it’s like, oh if I don’t know this type of dance or if you’re not trained in that certain skill level there’s judgement like that whereas with North Nachle, we take everyone, like the most of us have the tiniest bit of Bollywood experience, but we make it so that you can learn you know, and grow as a dancer. I think it’s a really good way to connect with the culture even if you’re not  part of the culture, there’s a lot of people who watch Bollywood and you know Bollywood is very big around the world and so it’s one those ways to like have your own little Bollywood moment because that’s what we do.”

North Nachle offers a unique opportunity for anyone to embrace South Asian culture through dance, regardless of experience level. With a supportive and inclusive environment, the team creates a space for growth and celebration of the vibrant world of Bollywood and beyond.