At South, South Asian culture is everywhere you look: the lunches that students bring, the casual code switching in conversation, and most importantly, the yearly celebration that is looked forward to schoolwide.
On April 28, 2025, one of the year’s most anticipated cultural shows returns. With skits, acapella performances and diverse dances, the South Asian American Student Association (SAASA) celebrates South Asian culture.
The 2024 show was one for the books. The show was completely sold out, and all the seats were taken to the point that some audience members had to stand and watch the show.
This year, expecting a similar packed audience, SAASA has been practicing and preparing for the big day since September.
Currently, SAASA is getting 18 performances ready to showcase various South Asian art forms.
There will be the annual class dances, where students from each grade perform a dance, and 11 specialty dances. Specialty dances focus on specific forms of South Asian dance, including Bhangra, Kathak, South Indian, Bharatanatyam, RAAS, Contemporary, and more.
In September, groups held auditions for dances and began practice sessions. “We have practices for every single dance every weekend and the choreographers, selected students, come and teach everyone on the weekdays,” said senior officer Tvisha Srikanth (‘25).
Dance is not the only way students contribute to SAASA night. Singers come together to show their vocal talents, such as acapella performances that blend South Asian music with American music.
This year the skit is based on the Bollywood movie “3 Idiots.”
The skit provides a fun way for actors to tell stories and entertain the audience. Students who prefer to be backstage help with lighting, guiding audience members to their seats, or serving them the delicious intermission lunch.
Many students also have specific roles to prepare for the show. For example, senior officer Nischal Karthikumar (‘25) manages the finances for the club. “ I establish a budget based on last year’s accounts and allocate money from fundraisers. I’ve been reaching out to local stores and asking them to collaborate with us,” said Karthikumar.
After intermission, many students come together to model their traditional attire to the audience in the fashion show. This portion does not even require being in SAASA.
As the show date comes closer, there is a sense of excitement in the air. One of SAASA’s advisors, Spanish teacher Sra. Kendall Popowski, is excited to learn about the culture of her students.
“My favorite part of being the advisor is that I get to learn so much from the students,” she said.“I get to learn a lot of things about music and food and all sorts of different elements of South Asian culture. There’s a little bit of a role reversal from teacher to student and I feel like that is my favorite part.”
