Young Welsh performers to celebrate Indian arts at free showcase

Nation.Cymru Staff

Young performers in south Wales are preparing to showcase Indian classical dance and music at a free event celebrating the cultural connections between Wales and South Asia.

As a finale to their 2026 programme, performing arts organisation Samarpan will host the ‘RANGSAIN’ showcase at St Cyres School on Saturday 14 November.

Featuring students from across Samarpan’s Kathak, Carnatic Vocal and Bharatanatyam Ty Vidya programmes, the free event showcases the creativity and diversity of the Indian performing arts that Samarpan champions.

The name RANGSAIN combines the Hindi word ‘rang’ meaning colour or expression and the Welsh world ‘sain’ meaning sound.

Samarpan intend the show to be a cultural exchange, celebrating the traditions of Indian performing arts while creating space for budding Welsh dancers to express themselves.

Starting off in 2017 as a specialised Bharatanatyam dance school, Samarpan has grown over the last nine years to offer Kathak dance classes, as well as tutoring in the Carnatic Vocal tradition.

Thus far in 2026 they have hosted their International Indian Performing Arts Festival, UTSAV, which welcomed Indian-Classical Dance from Bharatanatyam diva, Priyadarsini Govind, and music from Indian-Classical Carnatic vocalist Chaitrra Sairam.

Derived from the Sanskrit word for “celebration”, UTSAV was created by Samarpan in response to a lack of consistent classical Indian Arts programming in south Wales.

In May they premiered their ‘Double Bill’ Dance Showcase, which platformed both established dancers, accompanied by a Live Orchestra, and the Samarpan Ensemble who performed different repertoire pieces from their ongoing training.

Alongside the activity on stage, the venue also hosted a selection of local makers selling a variety of Indian jewellery, shawls, home decor and other unique handcrafted items.

Leena Menon and Santosh Nair, Directors of Samarpan, said: “The Double Bill represents the heart of Samarpan’s vision – to preserve, inspire and nurture Indian Performing Arts & Culture, while creating meaningful opportunities for artists and audiences to connect.

“We are delighted to see the continued enthusiasm of audiences and the growing interest in Indian classical arts across Wales.”

This year, Samarpan also announced their latest venture, Ty Vidya, a focused centre and integrated home for learning Indian art forms.

Organisers have shared that they looking forward to 2027, with plans already in place for more expansive programming beyond the south Wales region, as well as new development opportunities for young performers.

Samarpan and Ty Vidya’s RANGSAIN will take place on Saturday 14th November at 3pm at St Cyres School in Penarth. Tickets are available here.