Most cast members agreed to participate in the show without any classical training in either dance or singing; instead, they came in with a willingness to learn.

Those with backgrounds in dance or song taught the others, and learning the various styles of performance was an enormous task, show organizers say.

"Some freshmen may not have ever done classical dances before," Vasan says, "and some of the dances are regional, so one group of South Asians would have done that, but we wanted to include everyone."

"We really had to teach each other," Naidu adds. "I was so surprised to see that there's so much talent here at Harvard, from lights to sounds to actual dancing. I was really impressed with everyone in the cast."

By opening night, members of the cast and crew alike had learned about many different styles of performance. All that was left was to give the audience the kind of spirited experience the show's participants say they had.

"Above everything, I hope the audience got a sense of what South Asia is like," Naidu says. "It's such a diverse culture, and to see all the parts--from the traditional, to the modern, to the Fusion dance, which combined salsa and classical and pop and freestyle--was incredible."