Imagine watching a gigantic compilation of some of your favorite songs take place right in front of your eyes, complete with newly choreographed dances. This is exactly what South Asian Society’s (SAS) Inspirasian feels like while sitting in the audience, astonished — and of course, inspired. The most breathtaking aspect of the whole show is the sheer amount of raw talent that is showcased on the school stage in the matter of a couple hours. From the most difficult classical dances to the most energetic bollywood pieces, the HHS students put their talent on display through their dance moves and constant show of energy.
The SAS held their annual Inspirasian event on March 15, 2025 in the HHS auditorium as a way to teach the Hillsborough community more about south asian culture and allow students brought up in a western environment to be proud of their cultural history.
After the short explanatory introduction led by hosts Ethan Amaning and Anya Anand, the first program of the night was classical Baratnatum dance led by Sahithya Panamgipali and Ritija Bhargava and their subleads Sreenidhi Saravanan and Akshaya Sureshkumar. Next was Bollywood Underclass, a crowd pleaser, that was led by underclassman Jiah Shah and Niasha Saxena and sublead by Vrindha Kasina. Taking a break from dances, SAS planned a show of south asian talent in a different way. Rakshitha Kannan came on stage next, to show off her incredible singing voice through the song “Nenjukulle” by AR Rahman. It’s safe to say the crowd was in awe for the entire duration because the sadness in her voice communicated everything lost through the language barrier. The next two dances before the intermission were Garba (led by Zia Shah and Samara Nambiar and sublead by Jasmine Patel and Anjali Shah) and South Indian Girls and Boys (led by Aarana Aravinthan, Sahi Panamgipalli, and Nivedha Karthikeyan).
After the intermission, the show came back with a bang, with Bollywood Girls and Boys (led by Aarana Aravinthan, Simar Singh, and Rishab Chintamani and sublead by Dhruv Jampa and Japan Rajeev). Bollywood seemed to be a constant favorite as the crowd was loud enough to be heard across the street. The same could be said when the Bollywood Mixed dance group (led by Rishab Chintamani, Aarana Aravinthan, and Simar Singh) came on stage after the Bhangra performance (led by Avneet Athwal and sublead by Nivedha Karthikeyan.) After, a pin drop silence overtook the room once again when, first, Ritisha Ghosh and Parvathy Koppara blew the crowd away as a singing duo and then Kruti Karthik extended the song portion of the evening by performing another song. The duo sang “Jab Koi Baat” by DJ Chetas and Karthik sang “Vaseegara” by Harris Jayaraj The last dance was performed by the South Indian Mixed group (led by Aarana Aravinthan, Sahi Panamgipalli, and Nivedha Karthikeyan) which was the perfect way to end the night. As a result of so much more—like their facial expressions, energy, and choreography—than being organized as the final dance, the South Indian Mixed dance was one to remember. There is no doubt that this show was the combined hard work of all Inspirasian volunteers and dancers, but a special shout out is needed for all leads and subleads that created and taught the choreography that made the show a success.
Personally, as someone who has grown up surrounded by western culture and ideals, this was an event that I truly cherished. Not only did it connect the vast south asian community in Hillsborough, but it also brought together those willing to learn more about it. It was a beautiful show of acceptance and respect in a fun and engaging way. On top of this it was a great way for all SAS members, but especially SAS seniors, to make a lasting impact on the school community. Especially during the final moments, when all seniors were called on stage to the song “Ilahi” from the movie “Yeh Jewaani Hai Deewani,” the emotion was overwhelming in the crowd, as no other song could have been as powerful in this moment (to fully understand this, and in general, this movie is a must watch.) If you missed Inspirasian this year, look out for it next year as it will have new dances, new music, and some new faces. If you are interested in being a more active participant in this event, join SAS Club and have a greater hand behind the magic coming together. And finally if you want to watch this year’s performance immediately, check out hhs.southasiansociety. on YouTube for a complete video recording of the night.
