Henna Artists by Day, Dancers by Night: A Look into Last Spring’s Mock Mehndi

By Indu Danturti

“Five…six…FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT!”

While this is not what you would typically hear at a Henna with a Heart meeting, for a few months, our artists put on their dancing shoes in preparation for UCLA’s first ever Mock Mehndi, or fake Indian wedding celebration. The Mehndi and Sangeet celebrations include beautiful henna designs for the guests, energetic music and dance performances from the bride and groom’s families, and of course, lots of yummy Indian food.

All dressed up for the (mock) wedding!

In collaboration with the South Asian fusion dance team, ROOT[D, Henna with a Heart organized the mehndi side of the event, while also preparing a dance performance. This was certainly an ambitious project, considering most of us had almost no dance experience. However, after hours spent creating the set mix at jam sessions beginning at 3am and sweating at the gym to self-choreographed pieces, what started as a half-joking, whimsical idea turned into a polished and synchronized routine.

Hard at work...or hardly working?

On the evening of the event, our artists took a break from applying intricate designs on people to put down their henna cones and take center stage. The music swelled, our skirts swirled, and before we knew it, the audience was roaring as we held our final pose and beamed with joy.

Despite the existing chaos of setting up a henna event, we challenged ourselves to try something new. I guess I could say, ain’t nobody like my Desi girls, right?