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The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group hosts a Diwali celebration in the Multipurpose room Oct. 23. The club collaborated with the Bollywood Dance Club, showcasing dance performances to students alongside Indian cuisine, coloring activities, and henna artists. “Being a part of the club committee for ACAG and vice president for Bollywood Dance Club has taught me that performance and art can be an effective way of spreading Asian culture through a large scale,” Nevinka Amarakone (12) said. “It’s been very fun to be a part of the planning committees for two Asian clubs for the Diwali celebration and see our students enjoy Indian music, foods and art.”
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The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group hosts a Diwali celebration in the Multipurpose room Oct. 23. The club collaborated with the Bollywood Dance Club, showcasing dance performances to students alongside Indian cuisine, coloring activities, and henna artists. “Being a part of the club committee for ACAG and vice president for Bollywood Dance Club has taught me that performance and art can be an effective way of spreading Asian culture through a large scale,” Nevinka Amarakone (12) said. “It’s been very fun to be a part of the planning committees for two Asian clubs for the Diwali celebration and see our students enjoy Indian music, foods and art.”
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The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group hosts a Diwali celebration in the Multipurpose room Oct. 23. The club collaborated with the Bollywood Dance Club, showcasing dance performances to students alongside Indian cuisine, coloring activities, and henna artists. “Being a part of the club committee for ACAG and vice president for Bollywood Dance Club has taught me that performance and art can be an effective way of spreading Asian culture through a large scale,” Nevinka Amarakone (12) said. “It’s been very fun to be a part of the planning committees for two Asian clubs for the Diwali celebration and see our students enjoy Indian music, foods and art.”
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The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group hosts a Diwali celebration in the Multipurpose room Oct. 23. The club collaborated with the Bollywood Dance Club, showcasing dance performances to students alongside Indian cuisine, coloring activities, and henna artists. “Being a part of the club committee for ACAG and vice president for Bollywood Dance Club has taught me that performance and art can be an effective way of spreading Asian culture through a large scale,” Nevinka Amarakone (12) said. “It’s been very fun to be a part of the planning committees for two Asian clubs for the Diwali celebration and see our students enjoy Indian music, foods and art.”
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The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group hosts a Diwali celebration in the Multipurpose room Oct. 23. The club collaborated with the Bollywood Dance Club, showcasing dance performances to students alongside Indian cuisine, coloring activities, and henna artists. “Being a part of the club committee for ACAG and vice president for Bollywood Dance Club has taught me that performance and art can be an effective way of spreading Asian culture through a large scale,” Nevinka Amarakone (12) said. “It’s been very fun to be a part of the planning committees for two Asian clubs for the Diwali celebration and see our students enjoy Indian music, foods and art.”
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The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group hosts a Diwali celebration in the Multipurpose room Oct. 23. The club collaborated with the Bollywood Dance Club, showcasing dance performances to students alongside Indian cuisine, coloring activities, and henna artists. “Being a part of the club committee for ACAG and vice president for Bollywood Dance Club has taught me that performance and art can be an effective way of spreading Asian culture through a large scale,” Nevinka Amarakone (12) said. “It’s been very fun to be a part of the planning committees for two Asian clubs for the Diwali celebration and see our students enjoy Indian music, foods and art.”
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The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group hosts a Diwali celebration in the Multipurpose room Oct. 23. The club collaborated with the Bollywood Dance Club, showcasing dance performances to students alongside Indian cuisine, coloring activities, and henna artists. “Being a part of the club committee for ACAG and vice president for Bollywood Dance Club has taught me that performance and art can be an effective way of spreading Asian culture through a large scale,” Nevinka Amarakone (12) said. “It’s been very fun to be a part of the planning committees for two Asian clubs for the Diwali celebration and see our students enjoy Indian music, foods and art.”
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The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group hosts a Diwali celebration in the Multipurpose room Oct. 23. The club collaborated with the Bollywood Dance Club, showcasing dance performances to students alongside Indian cuisine, coloring activities, and henna artists. “Being a part of the club committee for ACAG and vice president for Bollywood Dance Club has taught me that performance and art can be an effective way of spreading Asian culture through a large scale,” Nevinka Amarakone (12) said. “It’s been very fun to be a part of the planning committees for two Asian clubs for the Diwali celebration and see our students enjoy Indian music, foods and art.”
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The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group hosts a Diwali celebration in the Multipurpose room Oct. 23. The club collaborated with the Bollywood Dance Club, showcasing dance performances to students alongside Indian cuisine, coloring activities, and henna artists. “Being a part of the club committee for ACAG and vice president for Bollywood Dance Club has taught me that performance and art can be an effective way of spreading Asian culture through a large scale,” Nevinka Amarakone (12) said. “It’s been very fun to be a part of the planning committees for two Asian clubs for the Diwali celebration and see our students enjoy Indian music, foods and art.”
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The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group hosts a Diwali celebration in the Multipurpose room Oct. 23. The club collaborated with the Bollywood Dance Club, showcasing dance performances to students alongside Indian cuisine, coloring activities, and henna artists. “Being a part of the club committee for ACAG and vice president for Bollywood Dance Club has taught me that performance and art can be an effective way of spreading Asian culture through a large scale,” Nevinka Amarakone (12) said. “It’s been very fun to be a part of the planning committees for two Asian clubs for the Diwali celebration and see our students enjoy Indian music, foods and art.”
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The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group hosts a Diwali celebration in the Multipurpose room Oct. 23. The club collaborated with the Bollywood Dance Club, showcasing dance performances to students alongside Indian cuisine, coloring activities, and henna artists. “Being a part of the club committee for ACAG and vice president for Bollywood Dance Club has taught me that performance and art can be an effective way of spreading Asian culture through a large scale,” Nevinka Amarakone (12) said. “It’s been very fun to be a part of the planning committees for two Asian clubs for the Diwali celebration and see our students enjoy Indian music, foods and art.”
Colors of yellow, pink and orange popped vibrantly on the walls of the multipurpose room as students gathered together shortly after the last ring of the school bell. The Asian Culture and Advocacy Group, hosted the annual Diwali event Oct. 23 as the club’s first major event of the school year. Entertained by food, drinks, music and dance, students were able to celebrate the festival of lights together.
“It’s really important for ACAG to host events such as this one not only to allow AAPI students at Ladue to celebrate their cultures’ holidays, but to allow others from different cultures to partake in the celebration,” ACAG co-leader Lillian Plumb (12) said. “One of the best ways to learn about a culture is to experience it yourself, and that is what ACAG brings to Ladue. The chance to taste, see and hear different cultures brings us closer as a community here at Ladue.”
Music and dance were key components of the celebration prepared by Ladue’s Bollywood Dance Club. Club members performed multiple routines throughout the event that showcased traditional Indian style choreography.
“The most memorable [moment] was when everyone joined in to clap and cheer along to the rhythm of the Bollywood Dance Club’s performances,” Plumb said. “Everyone in the room was brought together, and it reminded me of what ACAG is truly about.”
The event came about through the work put in by the ACAG leaders. Plumb took the responsibility of creating art and designing posters to promote ACAG events and celebrations. Additionally, she writes newsletters to send out to the school and helps brainstorm and plan club events. For the Diwali celebration, Plumb and the other leaders thought deeply for a way to make the event informative and fun for all.
“When planning for the Diwali celebration, ACAG leaders envisioned a multifaceted approach,” Plumb said. “We wanted to include different activities within this one event, such as food, homemade chai, dance, henna, coloring, music and traditional decorations. We hoped that attendees would get a taste of every part of Diwali, creating a larger and more complex understanding of the celebration.”
The Diwali celebration kicked off the start of ACAG’s community events and celebrations for the school year. Within the coming months, the club hopes to do more to celebrate Asian culture.
“I attend every club meeting and go to all the events because I’m excited to learn more about Asian cultures and traditions that are different from my own,” ACAG member Tina Ho (12) said.
With the event over, ACAG hopes that the celebration sparked new curiosities about the diverse backgrounds and cultures that make up the student and faculty body at school.
“I hope that after the Diwali celebration, people were able to take home a deeper, brighter comprehension of Diwali, one that they can teach to others of different cultures,” Plumb said.
![Team representatives Hotaru Murashita (11) and Regina Copeland (10) play rock paper scissors for the winning prize. The club hopes to continue to implement new meetings every year. “About a month ago, we pitched [the idea], and Madame Milford helped us obtain the croissants and jams,” Secretary Arlo Ziolkowski (11) said.](https://laduetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/FHS-April-8-1200x900.jpg)
![Performers dress in cultural outfits. Performances range from 1 to 3 per month depending on the opportunities and invitations. “[The performances] were super fun and a really great environment for everyone to show off their skills and the work we put into learning the dances,” Eshaa Deore (11) said. (Photo courtesy of Eshaa Deore)](https://laduetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_6478-1126x1200.jpg)
