On October 21, more than 50 dancers presented 15 traditional Kathak performances to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Fremont’s InSyncKathak Dance School, at the James Logan Center for Performing Arts in Union City. Among them were moving solos by Guru Anupama Srivastava, Founder and Artistic Director; Reva Srivastava, 2022 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts and 2022 National YoungArts Finalist; and Vyoma Bhanap, 2023 National YoungArts Finalist. Dances that premiered earlier this year at the All Indian Dance Festival at Carnegie Hall NY, the New York Kathak Festival, the Drive East Festival (Manhattan and Long Island), and some classical favorites formed the rest of the lineup at this concert which was titled “Anukriti”.
The journey to Carnegie Hall
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.
- Vyoma Bhanap
On KTVU Channel 2 News (September 9, 2022)
Reva Srivastava is not your average college bound teen. She has a superpower almost as exciting as Ms. Marvel, perhaps even better. Reva is a Kathak dancer and was recently named a 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
- Sree Sripathy, India Currents Magazine (8/10/2022)
Nirat-Nirtat: Forever Immersed in Dance
A solo showcase by four brilliant InSyncKathak dancers who have been learning Kathak for almost a decade on May 29th, 2022 at Jackson Theater, Smith Center, Ohlone College, Fremont.
Watching the girls dance it was obvious that Guru Anupama Srivastava had poured her heart and soul into working with the girls, it was as much an achievement for her, as it was for the girls. The afternoon was truly a mesmerizing experience, if I were to summarize, three things stood out, first that the preparation for the show from the selection of pieces, choreography, music, lights, visuals, as well as costumes design, was thoughtfully planned and fabulously executed; secondly, it was obvious that the dancers had not just received training in Kathak dance, which undoubtedly they had, but Guru Anupama Srivastava had ignited a passion inside each dancer, and allowed that passion to blossom with her loving guidance; and finally the strong bond between the dancers, and their Guru that exists as an anchor for the girls as they go off to college this fall. A true gurukul style education where students receive training, moral values and life skills under their guru’s guidance.
- Suparna Kumar, India Post (June 9, 2022)
Reva Srivastava from Fremont is one of the two San Francisco Bay Area high school students among the 2022 US Presidential Scholars. A Mission San Jose High School student; she has been declared a Presidential scholar in the Arts for her expertise in Kathak. She was initiated into the ancient art form of Kathak by her mom, Anupama Srivastava. She took up Kathak as her creative pursuit by observing her mom since she was a toddler. - Indian Eagle (5/23/2022)
Here are the 2022 YoungArts Winners in Dance - Helen Hope, Dance Spirit
Ms Anupama has performed her solos at Stations all thru out Grace for SFMAF. And at those same performances she's had her dance company inSyncKathak dancing ensemble pieces in near by Stations.
This Jan 24, 2020 Ms Anupama will be performing a duet with her talented and lovely daughter: Ms Reva Srivastava. And Ms Reva, herself, has performed at SFMAF in those inSyncKathak ensemble pieces.
Every year at SFMAF we have a number of Mothers performing or showing work while their dancers dance nearby. And we're honored to have Anupama & Reva continued this strong tradition of Mother / Daughter at SFMAF...!!
- Jim Tobin, 2019
Director, SFMAF, [email protected]
(Full Article here)
"I love the inSyncKathak Dance School movement artists...!! This is their 2nd go around with SFMAF and in January of this year, they performed in the STATION at the Glass Doors and they danced in silence.
We have some closeup video footage of these young dancers performing in Grace and they are so in-sync within their ensemble piece, with one another - you can't but think - how can dancing in silence feel so much like their dancing in music. Honestly. It was this writer's first reaction. That's why I love them.
inSyncKathak is lead by our lovely and talented Ms Anupama Srivastava, who she herself always dances her original ethnic solo at a Station not too far from her students. She sets them lose as she sashays over to her own soloist art.
This go around, Ms Srivastava's students are bringing music. And pliantly of color."
- Jim Tobin, 2019
Director, SFMAF, [email protected]
(Full Article here)
"Thank you Anupama for taking us on this journey with you. Through your words and performances, you explained to us what it means to carry forward Guru Shovana Narayan’s legacy while bestowing your distinctive stamp of grace and humility on your audience. "
-Kakoli Roy, 2019 (Full Article here)
"The show was skillfully organised by Anupama Srivastava, the founder and artistic director of InSync Kathak Dance School and a dedicated disciple of Shovana Narayan..... Anupama impressed the audience with the variety of rhythmic patterns of her intricate footwork and fast pirouettes. She proved to be not only a brilliant dancer but an equally competent Guru too". - Manjari Sinha, The Statesman , 2015
(Full Article here)
"She (Anupama) proved herself to be a dedicated disciple, a brilliant performer, a competent guru and a meticulous organizer". - India West, 2015
(Full Article here)
"She (Anupama) demonstrated her command over ‘nritta’ including complex rhythms, elaborate footwork and dizzying pirouettes, and ‘abhinaya’ narrating the divine love of Radha and Krishna." - Siliconeer , 2015
(Full Article here)