China-made robot dancers performing a classical dance-know the truth

The video shows two dancers named Sophia Salingaros and Isha Parupudi performing Bharatanatyam, not robots

A video of an Indian classical dance performance by two women is being shared on social media platforms with the claim that they are actually robots who can be seen performing at China’s Shanghai.

The caption of the video states “Watch this dance carefully. Dancing at Disneyland in Shanghai these two are not human dancers, But two robots made in China. The duration of the dance is only five minutes. But the waiting time to buy tickets to see this dance is 4 hours. Tickets to see this dance cost 499 yuan, which is equivalent to 75 dollars. Robots’ facial expressions are so perfect that it’s hard to distinguish them from real people”.

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Fact Check

We began our investigation using reverse image search with the key frames of the video and the results led us to video uploaded on Indian Raga’s YouTube channel on 11August, 2017. We noticed that Indian Raga is a US-based group which provides training on Indian classical music and dance.

Dancers perform Bharatanatyam dance. The name of the dance is Vahana Alarip and the names of the dancers are Sofia Salingaros and Isha Parupudi as seen in the description of the video. 

Indian Raga’s Instagram account has the same video . It contains the name of the dancers and their Instagram account link. 

According to information provided on Indian Raga website, “we aim to bring Indian classical music & dance to the 21st century, by making the art accessible to anyone, anywhere. Our online Indian classical singing classes and online Bharatnatyam and Kathak classes are designed to impart skill and training from masters in the industry, in a way that’s fun and engaging. We offer a holistic approach to music and dance, in both classical and contemporary styles. We provide a platform for aspiring artists to explore their talent, with opportunities to focus on presentation and performance, high-quality audio, and video production for digital channels, and learn how to collaborate with fellow artists. We have designed our programs to give you the choice of how to participate from anywhere in the world”.

There is no news yet that robots that look like humans have been built anywhere or that they dance like this. 

Conclusion

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be False. The video shows two dancers named Sophia Salingaros and Isha Parupudi performing Bharatanatyam, not robots