Jackii Thind is a scholarship student at De Anza College in Cupertino who participated in the Bay Area Leadership Foundation's ACCESS Program as a Piedmont Hills High School student. A member of a Bhangra dance team (Bhangra is a form of traditional Indian folk dance), Jackii got a surprising phone call from his team leader in late November 2009. First Lady Michelle Obama had invited Jackii's team to perform for the Prime Minister of India Dr. Mammohan Singh at the first State Dinner to be hosted by President Barack Obama.
With just two days to prepare, Jackii and his teammates flew to Washington, D.C. as the first Bhangra team to ever perform at the White House. In addition to Jackii's group, the National Symphony Orchestra, Oscar winner A.R. Rahman, jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, and American Idol and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson comprised the entertainment program for the memorable event.
"At the beginning of our performance, I went to my starting position and noticed that my bright green outfit matched the green theme of the dinner setting," said Jackii. "Some members from the audience were dancing to the music and they really enjoyed our performance."
The audience included prominent figures in American and Indian political, business, and entertainment circles. Along with the President and First Lady, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, Bobby Jindal, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Steven Spielberg, M. Night Shyamalan, Alfre Woodard, and Blair Underwood were all in attendance.
Following the entertainment portion of the evening, President Obama and Prime Minister Singh both gave speeches. "This was the most amazing part of our trip, seeing both leaders up close," said Jackii.
After the dinner, Jackii's group had the opportunity to meet and take photos with President Obama and the First Lady. The President shook hands with each of the team's members, asked their names, and even attempted a few Bhangra moves with the group.
"Meeting so many famous people in one night was overwhelming, and it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," concluded Jackii.
