After a year of planning, Lexington High School’s South Asian Student Association (SASA) held their first dance event at the Lexington Community Center on Jan. 20. 

SASA’s debut event incorporated elements of South Asian culture through the event’s food, music, dancing, and games. The program incorporated various LHS clubs, including performances from RASA, LHS’ classical dance group, and LHS’ Bollywood dance group. Additionally, the Henna Club offered free henna to attendees. 

“I enjoyed being able to embrace my culture with people from similar cultural backgrounds. I enjoy being able to do other people’s henna and seeing other people just enjoy themselves and have a fun time,” Abhinav Chaudry, one of the leaders of the Henna club, said. 

SASA was created to recognize the need for South Asian cultural representation at LHS. Led by LHS teachers Dr. Parul Kumar and Rohen Sundaram, the club represents the diverse South Asian perspectives within the school community. 

“Within LHS specifically, cultural representation is very important because there is such a plethora in student culture and diversity,” Saanvi Mammai, a leader of SASA, said. “Everyone’s ideas and cultures should be shared.” 

Participants at the event valued the opportunity to immerse themselves in South Asian culture. 

“Cultural representation is important so that people feel like they have a safe space where they can just be themselves and not live in fear of judgment from others,” Chaudry said. 

While SASA aims to create a space where South Asian students can celebrate their culture, their mission impacts the broader LHS community.

“There were people that weren’t South Asian that were at the SASA dance event, and they just got to learn more about South Asian culture,” Chaudry said. 

In the future, SASA plans to organize similar events, such as another Bollywood dance night and an event for Holi, the festival of color.

SASA believes that these events further cultural awareness among the student body in LHS.