Bollywood dances as part of the pre-game show.
By Sujeet Rajan
NEW YORK: Former Miss America Nina Davuluri will throw the 1st pitch at a Major League Baseball game, Phillies vs Nationals, in Philadelphia, on Saturday, April 11.
The Left Field Plaza at Citizens Bank Park will also hold a pre-game show as part of the Asian-Pacific celebration, which will include live performances from Philadelphia-area university Bollywood dance troupes and the opportunity for fans to learn Bollywood dance.
Davuluri is the first contestant of South Asian descent to win the Miss America competition and the first to perform a Bollywood dance on the Miss America stage. Over the course of her year of service as Miss America, she logged approximately 250,000 miles traveling across the country to address an array of audiences on her platform: ‘Celebrating Diversity through Cultural Competency.’
“For me, this is moving beyond the title of Miss America; over the past 18 months, I’ve been an advocate for my platform of cultural competency and inclusion. To be able to celebrate diversity with the Phillies and showcase the Asian Pacific culture is truly an honor,” said Davuluri, in a statement.
The Indian American entertainment-themed flair to the game is being organized by Platinum Dream events.
“The event has blossomed from a simple idea where I started off performing with the Philly Phanatic ten years ago. Since then, the event has grown allowing us to be innovative and incorporate the best talent to bring a global representation of South Asian culture. We are excited to bring Nina Davuluri to make this our biggest year yet,” said Mayank Amin, CEO and founder of Platinum Dream Events, in a statement.