Theatre-goers in Melbourne’s east were treated to a cultural evening rich in tradition, expression and youthful energy as Dharma Down Under (DDU) hosted the Sri Rama Navami showcase at the Kew High School Theatre on 27 April.
Run entirely by youth volunteers, DDU is a community initiative rooted in Dharmic values with a focus on social service, spiritual reflection and cultural expression. With most members either in higher education or early stages of professional life, the group has quietly built a reputation for thoughtful, well-executed events that speak to Australia’s evolving multicultural character without leaning on clichés.
Their latest showcase centred on the epic Ramayana, retold through Indian classical dance and music. From Bharatanatyam to Kathak, the performances unfolded with precision and emotion, drawing applause and quiet moments of reflection alike. The evening combined storytelling with devotional art forms, shifting between the structured grace of Bharatanatyam and the expressive fluidity of Kathak to bring episodes from the Ramayana into focus.
Dr Rethika Ravi, Director of Shakthiswara, opened the evening with a Bharatanatyam performance of Sri Rama Chandra Kripalu, a bhajan by Tulsidas. This was followed by Ghar More Pardesiya, a Kathak duet performed by Tashu Pawar and Dia, which earned one of the evening’s loudest applauses. Group devotional singing by Shrita Sira, Shivani Krishna and Rhea Sanjanwala followed, with a heartfelt rendition of Raghupati Raghava Rajaram.
Samyuktha Sriganesh and Yazhini Karthi presented a Bharatanatyam piece, Unnai Kanathu Naan, exploring longing and inner devotion, while Shivani Krishna returned for Yahahin Rahio Sa, a Kathak solo filled with nuanced abhinaya.
The line-up continued with Vaishnavi Sarode offering a blend of modern cinematic and classical Bharatanatyam interpretations—drawing from Kanthara and RRR—followed by Aishwarya Joshi’s soulful presentation of Vaani, composed by Niraj Chag. The evening closed with Harshini Rajesh’s crisp Sindhu Bhairavi Thillana, and a return to Ghar More Pardesiya by Ananya Acharya and Tvisha Verma.
What gave the night its charm wasn’t just the technical execution—it was the visible camaraderie among the performers, the sense of purpose they carried, and their easy, confident relationship with their heritage. It didn’t feel forced. Nobody was trying to recreate something foreign to the setting. Instead, the group brought their identity into the open, naturally, as if the Ramayana belonged just as much in Kew as in Ayodhya.
Dharma Down Under describes itself as a “medium where the message is the medium”—and this came through clearly. The initiative revolves around the principles of compassion, interconnectedness and selflessness, using performance as one of many ways to engage with community. While there was reverence in the tone of the showcase, it was never overbearing. This was celebration, not sermon.
At a time when the wider conversation around multiculturalism is often weighed down by tokenism or division, DDU’s approach is refreshingly unaffected. There is no race to prove identity, nor any urge to soften tradition for mainstream consumption. Instead, what’s offered is something calm and confident—an experience built for those who recognise it, and open to those who wish to learn.
The packed hall at Kew High School suggested that there is a growing appetite for such evenings. Not everything needs to be explained, repackaged or diluted. Sometimes, a performance speaks for itself. The audience—many of them parents, friends, or curious neighbours—understood this intuitively.
Dharma Down Under’s work extends beyond cultural showcases. The group also runs seva (service) initiatives for underprivileged communities, hosts satsangs (spiritual gatherings), and facilitates youth engagement on issues ranging from mental wellbeing to identity and belonging. The thread running through all their work is dharma—not in the dogmatic sense, but as a framework for living with empathy and awareness.
Events like this one don’t solve every problem. They don’t claim to. But they do open a window—a space where old stories can be retold by new voices, and where tradition doesn’t feel like a burden but a choice.
The night at Kew was proof that young people, when given the room to lead, can offer something both rooted and refreshingly new. And for an audience longing for sincerity and grace in cultural expression, that may be more than enough.
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