SAPAN co-founder Sejal Shah (right) performaning with a member of the SAPAN dance company

Over the past few years, and more recently due to the juggernaut that is Slumdog Millionaire, there has been an explosion of South Asian American artists and collectives devoted to incorporating South Asian culture into the broader arts scene. Musicians such as Karsh Kale and Janaka Selekta, who merge electronic and traditional sounds, have started making more regular visits to the District. Local dance companies like the Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company, Dhoonya Dance, and a host of others have each put their own twist on attempting to cast traditional South Asian forms into a modern light.

On Saturday, one more group will add its name to the list in the form of the South Asian Performing Arts Network and Institute. SAPAN, which translates to “dream” in Hindi, will be hosting a Mela, or festival, as a formal introduction to the local community, and a peek into the organization. The group is trying to distinguish itself from similar ventures by taking a multi-faceted approach in its endeavor. In addition to having a multimedia performance company that includes dancers, musicians, and dramatists, the Institute will include venues for instruction, and hopes to expand into artist promotion and management.

“SAPAN is founded on the belief that by working together South Asian artists will not only preserve what they know through education, but can also advance their art forms by collaboratively working on new artistic ideas and performances,” co-founder Sejal Shah explained.