InSyncKathak Presents "Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam" at the
All Indian Dance Festival 2023, Carnegie Hall, New York
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The Journey to Carnegie Hall
Author: Vyoma Bhanap (Kathak dancer, Disciple of Guru Anupama Srivastava, 2023 National YoungArts Finalist Winner in World Dance Discipline, Sophomore at UC Davis)
There are few times in a young dancer’s career that stand out so vividly, so intensely, that you could argue they change your life. This was one of those moments.
I remember that first December day vividly: our admired Guru, Smt. Anupama Srivastava (or Anupama Aunty as us girls called her) brought her students and their parents together for a Zoom call. I was away in my dorm at college, mostly focused on my schoolwork, but even from miles away the announcement surprised me– the InSyncKathak team had been invited to perform at the world renowned Carnegie Hall? And all the way in New York! It seemed surreal.
There were some issues though. Learning a brand new choreography, assembling a team large enough to fill the stage, and of course, the large costs of getting all the way across the country! To top it off, five of the girls (including me) were away at college until June and couldn’t consistently join for in-person rehearsals. But after a period of discussion, it was decided that we had to take the opportunity– after all, we had an invitation to perform at one of the most prestigious venues in the country!
And thus, the preparations began. The music was a unique composition created in India with the guidance of Guru Padmashri Shovana Narayan and a team of musicians, who thoughtfully tailored it to suit the age and experience of the dancers. The final cut, which took over two months to perfect, conveyed the dramatic power of Kaal Bhairav, a fierce form of Shiva that challenges us to live in the present moment.
To choreograph a piece that represents Kaal Bhairav is difficult enough, but to develop that choreography into a full stage-ready performance is incredible. I can’t imagine the hours of meticulous planning Anupama Aunty spent to create the piece, but we all knew it was a tremendous feat. Slowly, weeks turned into months as we learned each tukra and paran. It felt like we were stringing together a beautiful necklace; each individual piece seemed so small and required much refinement, but when it was all put together, it would be dazzling. Throughout those winter and spring quarters in college, I would rush downstairs to the bottom floor of my building and claim a space in the lounge to set up my computer for online class. Though the floors were made of scratchy carpet (terrible for spinning on) and my roommates stared at me with bewilderment, I watched the little Zoom squares and danced along with the figures on the screen. I can’t deny it was strange to be learning such a unique choreography in a fully academic environment; I shifted from friends’ apartments, to corners of the gym, to my tiny dorm room in search of a proper place to practice. I am sure it was equally difficult for the other dancers in college, while our teammates at home would have certainly had their own practice struggles to account for.
In hindsight, those months of preparation do seem incredible. There were 19 dancers– so 19 moving parts that all needed to be coordinated and brought “in sync.” And none of it would have happened without the immense support from our families. The parents and Anupama Aunty would meet every Monday night to discuss logistics and tackle the seemingly never-ending list of tasks to finish. The parents found rehearsal dresses, ordered matching team shirts, organized jewelry orders, sold tickets, booked flights and hotels, kept their daughters accountable in their dance practice, and performed all the background tasks that kept us moving forward. Anupama Aunty designed and ordered brand-new costumes in the brightest colors to truly stand out, which called for a group photoshoot to get professional pictures of the team. In the meantime, the dancers fundraised through community bake sales, spread the word to their friends, and prepared for the physically demanding rehearsals coming up.
Throughout all this bustle, spring quietly slipped into summer. At least from my standpoint, it felt as if everyone had been so focused on getting ready that we had barely realized how quickly it all approached until suddenly, it was the last stretch. Four weeks, and that was it. By this time I had returned from college (now officially a second year student!) and was delighted to see the entire team! I am sure the feeling of excitement (and nervousness of course) was mutual as we entered the studios we would be rehearsing in for the last two weeks of practice. Anupama Aunty scheduled it so that we would spend two hours in a smaller dance studio, then hurry next door to have access to an indoor basketball stadium that would mimic the size of the legendary hall we would be performing in. We started off with group rehearsals of the whole piece, then broke it down, minute by minute, movement by movement. In our breaks, all of us girls would chat and rest for a moment, until the music began and we would be on our feet again. Spinning, footwork, hands up on the 4th count, and bend!! The corrections came from our dedicated teacher, who spent those hours not only examining our every move, but also constructing new poses on the spot, and then dancing through them alongside us! The mothers and fathers were invaluable as always, bringing refreshments and their own comments of encouragement and ideas. The days passed, and the necklace that was our dance gained its final bits of sparkling polish. Finally, it was the end of rehearsals.
With that we were off to New York– although it wasn’t so simple. Midsummer storms and flight complications kept interfering with our travel plans, and instead of the short journey everyone was hoping for, it became a stressful few days as dancers and their families struggled to find a flight that would arrive in time. Finally, everyone landed in New York and the travel stress was immediately translated into a dizzying mix of excitement and nervousness for the performance.
And suddenly, it was the morning of July 2nd– show day. The dancers and our backstage moms assembled early in the humid heat, hair already set and eyes bright with anticipation. As we entered the historic hall through a side entrance, we were quietly abuzz. This is what it was all coming to; in just a few hours, we would be on stage and the moment we had been preparing for would be here! Those last backstage minutes – finishing up our makeup, getting into costume, doing one final run through– were exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time. We reapplied lipsticks and quietly filed through the hallways until we were standing on the threshold of the stage. We waited. And waited. And softly whispered to each other how nervous we were, and how we knew we would do great! And said mental prayers as a team. And then–
The music began.
I wish I could precisely describe the feeling of being on that stage. The brightness of the lights. The vivid yellow and pink of our dresses. The enormity of having the entire audience’s attention and seeing my wonderful fellow dancers spinning alongside me. The knowledge that this moment was beyond special, and nothing else mattered. In that instant, the meaning behind our dance, “Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam,” became crystal clear: true liberation is found in enjoying the present moment, free from all worries of the past or the future. Our faces radiant and our positions (finally!) perfect, we channeled our devotion to our art into the piece, and when we left the stage at the end of the short ten minutes, I could tell we were changed.
Those moments, full of dedication, hard work, and collective inspiration, are truly rare and therefore deeply powerful. My teammates and I feel we have a massive debt and an ocean of gratitude to our Guru Anupama Aunty, without whom none of this would ever have been possible. She has transformed each of us from girls into dancers, a lifelong gift that has shaped us for the better. I have realized that dance is a force of positive change on both the individual level as well as on the larger world stage. Performing at Carnegie Hall was an incredible moment in our lives that strengthened the personal relationship each one of us has with our dance. I have full confidence that we will use this to fuel our passions and take on deeper commitments and loftier goals – and I can’t wait to see where we go next!
(This article was also published on narthaki.com)
There are few times in a young dancer’s career that stand out so vividly, so intensely, that you could argue they change your life. This was one of those moments.
I remember that first December day vividly: our admired Guru, Smt. Anupama Srivastava (or Anupama Aunty as us girls called her) brought her students and their parents together for a Zoom call. I was away in my dorm at college, mostly focused on my schoolwork, but even from miles away the announcement surprised me– the InSyncKathak team had been invited to perform at the world renowned Carnegie Hall? And all the way in New York! It seemed surreal.
There were some issues though. Learning a brand new choreography, assembling a team large enough to fill the stage, and of course, the large costs of getting all the way across the country! To top it off, five of the girls (including me) were away at college until June and couldn’t consistently join for in-person rehearsals. But after a period of discussion, it was decided that we had to take the opportunity– after all, we had an invitation to perform at one of the most prestigious venues in the country!
And thus, the preparations began. The music was a unique composition created in India with the guidance of Guru Padmashri Shovana Narayan and a team of musicians, who thoughtfully tailored it to suit the age and experience of the dancers. The final cut, which took over two months to perfect, conveyed the dramatic power of Kaal Bhairav, a fierce form of Shiva that challenges us to live in the present moment.
To choreograph a piece that represents Kaal Bhairav is difficult enough, but to develop that choreography into a full stage-ready performance is incredible. I can’t imagine the hours of meticulous planning Anupama Aunty spent to create the piece, but we all knew it was a tremendous feat. Slowly, weeks turned into months as we learned each tukra and paran. It felt like we were stringing together a beautiful necklace; each individual piece seemed so small and required much refinement, but when it was all put together, it would be dazzling. Throughout those winter and spring quarters in college, I would rush downstairs to the bottom floor of my building and claim a space in the lounge to set up my computer for online class. Though the floors were made of scratchy carpet (terrible for spinning on) and my roommates stared at me with bewilderment, I watched the little Zoom squares and danced along with the figures on the screen. I can’t deny it was strange to be learning such a unique choreography in a fully academic environment; I shifted from friends’ apartments, to corners of the gym, to my tiny dorm room in search of a proper place to practice. I am sure it was equally difficult for the other dancers in college, while our teammates at home would have certainly had their own practice struggles to account for.
In hindsight, those months of preparation do seem incredible. There were 19 dancers– so 19 moving parts that all needed to be coordinated and brought “in sync.” And none of it would have happened without the immense support from our families. The parents and Anupama Aunty would meet every Monday night to discuss logistics and tackle the seemingly never-ending list of tasks to finish. The parents found rehearsal dresses, ordered matching team shirts, organized jewelry orders, sold tickets, booked flights and hotels, kept their daughters accountable in their dance practice, and performed all the background tasks that kept us moving forward. Anupama Aunty designed and ordered brand-new costumes in the brightest colors to truly stand out, which called for a group photoshoot to get professional pictures of the team. In the meantime, the dancers fundraised through community bake sales, spread the word to their friends, and prepared for the physically demanding rehearsals coming up.
Throughout all this bustle, spring quietly slipped into summer. At least from my standpoint, it felt as if everyone had been so focused on getting ready that we had barely realized how quickly it all approached until suddenly, it was the last stretch. Four weeks, and that was it. By this time I had returned from college (now officially a second year student!) and was delighted to see the entire team! I am sure the feeling of excitement (and nervousness of course) was mutual as we entered the studios we would be rehearsing in for the last two weeks of practice. Anupama Aunty scheduled it so that we would spend two hours in a smaller dance studio, then hurry next door to have access to an indoor basketball stadium that would mimic the size of the legendary hall we would be performing in. We started off with group rehearsals of the whole piece, then broke it down, minute by minute, movement by movement. In our breaks, all of us girls would chat and rest for a moment, until the music began and we would be on our feet again. Spinning, footwork, hands up on the 4th count, and bend!! The corrections came from our dedicated teacher, who spent those hours not only examining our every move, but also constructing new poses on the spot, and then dancing through them alongside us! The mothers and fathers were invaluable as always, bringing refreshments and their own comments of encouragement and ideas. The days passed, and the necklace that was our dance gained its final bits of sparkling polish. Finally, it was the end of rehearsals.
With that we were off to New York– although it wasn’t so simple. Midsummer storms and flight complications kept interfering with our travel plans, and instead of the short journey everyone was hoping for, it became a stressful few days as dancers and their families struggled to find a flight that would arrive in time. Finally, everyone landed in New York and the travel stress was immediately translated into a dizzying mix of excitement and nervousness for the performance.
And suddenly, it was the morning of July 2nd– show day. The dancers and our backstage moms assembled early in the humid heat, hair already set and eyes bright with anticipation. As we entered the historic hall through a side entrance, we were quietly abuzz. This is what it was all coming to; in just a few hours, we would be on stage and the moment we had been preparing for would be here! Those last backstage minutes – finishing up our makeup, getting into costume, doing one final run through– were exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time. We reapplied lipsticks and quietly filed through the hallways until we were standing on the threshold of the stage. We waited. And waited. And softly whispered to each other how nervous we were, and how we knew we would do great! And said mental prayers as a team. And then–
The music began.
I wish I could precisely describe the feeling of being on that stage. The brightness of the lights. The vivid yellow and pink of our dresses. The enormity of having the entire audience’s attention and seeing my wonderful fellow dancers spinning alongside me. The knowledge that this moment was beyond special, and nothing else mattered. In that instant, the meaning behind our dance, “Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam,” became crystal clear: true liberation is found in enjoying the present moment, free from all worries of the past or the future. Our faces radiant and our positions (finally!) perfect, we channeled our devotion to our art into the piece, and when we left the stage at the end of the short ten minutes, I could tell we were changed.
Those moments, full of dedication, hard work, and collective inspiration, are truly rare and therefore deeply powerful. My teammates and I feel we have a massive debt and an ocean of gratitude to our Guru Anupama Aunty, without whom none of this would ever have been possible. She has transformed each of us from girls into dancers, a lifelong gift that has shaped us for the better. I have realized that dance is a force of positive change on both the individual level as well as on the larger world stage. Performing at Carnegie Hall was an incredible moment in our lives that strengthened the personal relationship each one of us has with our dance. I have full confidence that we will use this to fuel our passions and take on deeper commitments and loftier goals – and I can’t wait to see where we go next!
(This article was also published on narthaki.com)
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A Young Kathak Dancer's Carnegie Hall Experience
Author: Ridhvi Shetty (Kathak Dancer, Disciple of Guru Anupama Srivastava and freshman at Mission San Jose High School, Fremont)
The journey to performing Kathak at Carnegie Hall was the attestation of tenacity, persistence, and the unadorned passion of Kathak dancers that accumulated as one driving force. The journey wasn't an easy feat, but just the thought of being able to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall galvanized me to push to my best abilities. For me, dance is a creative medium, a way to express myself and connect to my Indian culture and roots. I am a firm believer that dance brings people together and connects them. Through one performance, our guru Smt. Anupama Srivastava combined three different dance groups of different ages, making one big group of 19 performers.
But before I get into the depth of the performance, I’d like to give a little background to the story. We are part of a Kathak dance school called InSyncKathak Dance School. We are based in the San Francisco Bay Area and as a part of this performance, we traveled across the country from the West Coast to the East Coast. The next notable thing is the event. We were invited to the All-Indian Dance Festival at Carnegie Hall, New York along with many other youth dance groups from around the country and the world.
Along with all the dancing we also had some fundraisers. We had a bake sale at a local hiking spot and accumulated 1,000 dollars. As we started to learn the dance, the excitement within me grew. The dance we were to learn was a ten-minute dance that depicted Kaal Bhairav, one of the most fearsome forms of the Hindu lord Shiv. Understanding the essence of this outwardly fearsome avatar was inwardly liberating, as we are inspired to focus on the present moment and not worry about the past or future, a very important life lesson! Along with showcasing the fast rhythmic and technique portions of the dance, we also had to master the storytelling and expression aspects of our dance. Our journey started in January when we began learning the dance in our three separate groups. I still remember spending weeks learning specific parts of the dance. At that time, spending so much time on 2 or 3 minutes of our dance felt confusing, but as we started to learn more and more about the dance, it was clear how crucial those 2 to 3 minutes were. As time passed, I pushed myself harder to perform to the best of my ability, as I strove to improve.
Throughout the journey, I faced certain long-lasting obstacles. One of the biggest problems I faced was managing Kathak class and practicing with other extracurriculars I had. At the time, I had two classes including Kathak, which required both time and commitment, and I struggled with managing both. However, I was eventually able to overcome the challenge and balance both activities.
In the fullness of time, the part of the experience that made it the most memorable was becoming closer as a dance group. Putting aside age differences, and bonding not only made us better people but also improved our performance as a group. One of my most treasured moments was being able to ask any of the older girls for help, advice, or feedback, whenever I needed it. That feeling of always having a helping hand was indescribable and made the experience more lively.
Our guru, Anupama Srivastava played an incredibly pivotal role in the performance. She was not only our teacher but also our friend, who you could talk to at any point you were unsure of what to do. She always guided us in the right direction and pushed us to our best potential. Anupama Auntie made sure that our experience was not only working but also fun.
As we got closer and closer to the performance, our practice time and intensity significantly increased. We started practicing five days a week for 3 hours each day. And even though it was immensely tiring, it was also a lot of fun. There would be days when everyone would be low energy, but the 15-minute snack or water breaks would give everyone time to check in with one another and catch up. The street joke in New York is when someone asks for directions to Carnegie Hall and says, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” The response is, “Practice, Practice, Practice.” And practice we did. The four weeks of intense practice and training flew by, and before we knew it, people were flying out to New York.
And what is a journey without the bumps along the way? One major problem we faced was flights getting canceled due to bad weather. A couple of our teammates who were supposed to be in New York 3 days before the performance, ended up making it one day before the performance. This caused a lot of stress for both the dancers who were trying to make it to New York and the ones in New York. Thankfully the problem was resolved and everyone was able to make it on time.
The feeling of landing in New York was indescribable. Throughout all of our practices, it hadn't hit me that I was going to be performing in Carnegie Hall, until the moment I stepped out of the hotel. The day before the performance, we had a team photo shoot in front of Carnegie Hall. As I saw the All Indian Dance Festival poster up, I suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline through my body. That feeling was incredible.
On the performance day, I felt joy as I waited in line to enter the dressing rooms. Seeing all these other dancers here for the same thing, I felt immense pride in knowing that I too would be performing on that stage. The first time we got to step on the stage was for the tech rehearsal. We were told that we had ten minutes to run through positions and take professional photos. As soon as I got a glimpse of the Hall, the empty audience, and the stage, I was awestruck. Those ten minutes were the most surreal ten minutes of the entire journey.
As the event started, people started to take their places and the performances began. Our group went second and I danced with my heart full of joy and gratitude. Before I knew it, our performance was over. We were escorted to the dancer's circle where we got an incredible view of the other dance groups and performers. Even just watching the whole performance was a remarkable experience. After the performance, our group walked over to Times Square and performed a small part of our piece in front of the famous Times Square Red Stairs. We had accumulated quite an audience and it was an incredible experience to dance in Times Square. My most memorable moment was dancing in the pouring rain, spinning carefree.
Throughout the entire experience, I learned an abundance of lessons. One of my biggest lessons was that good things require time and effort. If we weren't pushed to that level, we would have never been able to dance in Carnegie Hall, let alone get the opportunity. I guess it's needless to say that after performing there, it is clear that Carnegie Hall isn’t just a venue, rather it is a place to showcase the devotion, growth, and strength of our group as a whole. As the Carnegie Hall chapter of my life closes, I feel tons of gratitude for the memories I made and will cherish them forever. The journey taught me that the ups and downs are what make every grand experience worth the wait.
The journey to performing Kathak at Carnegie Hall was the attestation of tenacity, persistence, and the unadorned passion of Kathak dancers that accumulated as one driving force. The journey wasn't an easy feat, but just the thought of being able to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall galvanized me to push to my best abilities. For me, dance is a creative medium, a way to express myself and connect to my Indian culture and roots. I am a firm believer that dance brings people together and connects them. Through one performance, our guru Smt. Anupama Srivastava combined three different dance groups of different ages, making one big group of 19 performers.
But before I get into the depth of the performance, I’d like to give a little background to the story. We are part of a Kathak dance school called InSyncKathak Dance School. We are based in the San Francisco Bay Area and as a part of this performance, we traveled across the country from the West Coast to the East Coast. The next notable thing is the event. We were invited to the All-Indian Dance Festival at Carnegie Hall, New York along with many other youth dance groups from around the country and the world.
Along with all the dancing we also had some fundraisers. We had a bake sale at a local hiking spot and accumulated 1,000 dollars. As we started to learn the dance, the excitement within me grew. The dance we were to learn was a ten-minute dance that depicted Kaal Bhairav, one of the most fearsome forms of the Hindu lord Shiv. Understanding the essence of this outwardly fearsome avatar was inwardly liberating, as we are inspired to focus on the present moment and not worry about the past or future, a very important life lesson! Along with showcasing the fast rhythmic and technique portions of the dance, we also had to master the storytelling and expression aspects of our dance. Our journey started in January when we began learning the dance in our three separate groups. I still remember spending weeks learning specific parts of the dance. At that time, spending so much time on 2 or 3 minutes of our dance felt confusing, but as we started to learn more and more about the dance, it was clear how crucial those 2 to 3 minutes were. As time passed, I pushed myself harder to perform to the best of my ability, as I strove to improve.
Throughout the journey, I faced certain long-lasting obstacles. One of the biggest problems I faced was managing Kathak class and practicing with other extracurriculars I had. At the time, I had two classes including Kathak, which required both time and commitment, and I struggled with managing both. However, I was eventually able to overcome the challenge and balance both activities.
In the fullness of time, the part of the experience that made it the most memorable was becoming closer as a dance group. Putting aside age differences, and bonding not only made us better people but also improved our performance as a group. One of my most treasured moments was being able to ask any of the older girls for help, advice, or feedback, whenever I needed it. That feeling of always having a helping hand was indescribable and made the experience more lively.
Our guru, Anupama Srivastava played an incredibly pivotal role in the performance. She was not only our teacher but also our friend, who you could talk to at any point you were unsure of what to do. She always guided us in the right direction and pushed us to our best potential. Anupama Auntie made sure that our experience was not only working but also fun.
As we got closer and closer to the performance, our practice time and intensity significantly increased. We started practicing five days a week for 3 hours each day. And even though it was immensely tiring, it was also a lot of fun. There would be days when everyone would be low energy, but the 15-minute snack or water breaks would give everyone time to check in with one another and catch up. The street joke in New York is when someone asks for directions to Carnegie Hall and says, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” The response is, “Practice, Practice, Practice.” And practice we did. The four weeks of intense practice and training flew by, and before we knew it, people were flying out to New York.
And what is a journey without the bumps along the way? One major problem we faced was flights getting canceled due to bad weather. A couple of our teammates who were supposed to be in New York 3 days before the performance, ended up making it one day before the performance. This caused a lot of stress for both the dancers who were trying to make it to New York and the ones in New York. Thankfully the problem was resolved and everyone was able to make it on time.
The feeling of landing in New York was indescribable. Throughout all of our practices, it hadn't hit me that I was going to be performing in Carnegie Hall, until the moment I stepped out of the hotel. The day before the performance, we had a team photo shoot in front of Carnegie Hall. As I saw the All Indian Dance Festival poster up, I suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline through my body. That feeling was incredible.
On the performance day, I felt joy as I waited in line to enter the dressing rooms. Seeing all these other dancers here for the same thing, I felt immense pride in knowing that I too would be performing on that stage. The first time we got to step on the stage was for the tech rehearsal. We were told that we had ten minutes to run through positions and take professional photos. As soon as I got a glimpse of the Hall, the empty audience, and the stage, I was awestruck. Those ten minutes were the most surreal ten minutes of the entire journey.
As the event started, people started to take their places and the performances began. Our group went second and I danced with my heart full of joy and gratitude. Before I knew it, our performance was over. We were escorted to the dancer's circle where we got an incredible view of the other dance groups and performers. Even just watching the whole performance was a remarkable experience. After the performance, our group walked over to Times Square and performed a small part of our piece in front of the famous Times Square Red Stairs. We had accumulated quite an audience and it was an incredible experience to dance in Times Square. My most memorable moment was dancing in the pouring rain, spinning carefree.
Throughout the entire experience, I learned an abundance of lessons. One of my biggest lessons was that good things require time and effort. If we weren't pushed to that level, we would have never been able to dance in Carnegie Hall, let alone get the opportunity. I guess it's needless to say that after performing there, it is clear that Carnegie Hall isn’t just a venue, rather it is a place to showcase the devotion, growth, and strength of our group as a whole. As the Carnegie Hall chapter of my life closes, I feel tons of gratitude for the memories I made and will cherish them forever. The journey taught me that the ups and downs are what make every grand experience worth the wait.