On Demand

Production Title: On Demand!

Length: 12 minutes

Concept: On Demand is a pop culture medley that highlights the cross-cultural meaning of belonging utilizing Bharatanatyam and works of art from American pop culture. 

Cast: Smrithi Suresh, Krishnanand Nair, Sanjana Melkote, Janhavi Pillai, Shaini Shiva

Synopsis: You turn the TV on, and suddenly you’re in a time machine. Bharatanatyam is an ancient art form, its principles rooted in mythology, history, and culture but the music we’ve chosen for this piece are all from very recent years. Classical art forms often get misconstrued as “dying” in the modern age, but we believe that an art form that has sustained through thousands of generations can stand the test of time. With this work, we aim to bridge the gap between our American and Indian identities and prove that Bharatanatyam can be used to tell any story.

Music:

Soundtrack Medley — Avatar the Last Airbender

A Lovely Night — La La Land

The Hidden — Aditya Prakash Ensemble

Ten Duel Commandments — Hamilton

The Hill We Climb — Amanda Gorman

Unnai Kaanadhu Naan — Berklee Indian Ensemble