ANUKRITI 2023 - Celebrating 10 years of InSyncKathak
Audience ReactionsI was absolutely delighted to attend your dance performance, and I was thoroughly impressed by the talent and dedication of each one of your students. The entire show was a true feast for the senses – the vibrant colors, beautiful dresses, and the powerful feminine energy of every dancer embodied the essence of goddesses. Your commitment to this art form and your ability to convey such depth and meaning is truly inspiring. I have no doubt that you will continue to grow as a vessel for enlightenment through your art, touching the hearts of many. Loved every minute of the talented presentations. The movements, music, costumes, lighting… what an ambience was created. There was one particular piece by Anupama and her daughter Reva (brilliant artist), set to Bandini movie’s song ‘Ab ke baras’- poignantly sung unplugged by Rujul Pathak - that still lingers … depicting a mother’s re blossoming with her daughter. Just beautiful. Anupama di, thanks to you for such an amazing and mind blowing ensemble of colors, art, magic and craft! I was blown away. Have not had this experience since my college days and I realized why and how our cultural depths and roots are next to none in the world. I had tears rolling down during your Ek Shloki Ramayan performance. A lot of folks cried during the Bachpan piece. Huge respect and admiration for your supreme art and tutelage of such an amazing community of artists you are nurturing! |
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InSyncKathak Dance School celebrates 10 years of Excellence in Dance
52 dancers presented 15 traditional Kathak dance items that summarized the remarkable 10 year journey of InSyncKathak Dance School and had the audience charmed, stunned, moved, tearing up, and erupting in applause throughout the afternoon. Among the performances were moving solos by Guru Anupama Srivastava (Founder and Artistic Director), Reva Srivastava (2022 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts and 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 classic favorites were part of the lineup that enthralled the Bay Area audiences in a well-executed, well-attended show “Anukriti” that lasted two and a half hours on October 21st 2023 at the James Logan Center for the Performing Arts, Union City.
The show started with a video message from the legendary Kathak Guru and world-renowned Kathak exponent Padmashri Dr. Shovana Narayan. Her pride in her disciple Anupama’s accomplishments and devotion to Kathak was evident in the words of praise, blessings, and encouragement that she sent across to the entire InSyncKathak family. The graceful emcee Rujul Pathak (InSyncKathak Parent and a well-known Hindustani vocalist who lent her voice to a couple of background scores in the show that day) highlighted the significance of each item to the InSyncKathak community of dancers and parents.
The first dance, titled “Katha Kathak ki - Reimagining the quintessential Kalavati Tarana” was a brilliant concept and choreography by Reva Srivastava which portrayed the evolution of Kathak and its movement vocabulary over the centuries. The journey of Kathak dance itself from temple courtyards to royal courts to concert halls was thoughtfully crafted and expertly rendered by Reva, Vyoma and Aditi, and set the stage for a captivating afternoon showcasing the grace and elegance of the Lucknow Gharana style of Kathak.
Next came a series of solos: “Ek Shloki Ramayan” by Anupama, “Mahadev Shankar” by Reva, and "Jago Ma" by Vyoma that presented strong story-telling and rhythmic prowess of the guru and her shishyas. “Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam”, a spectacular choreography presented by Anupama and the InSyncKathak Youth Team (and premiered at the prestigious Carnegie Hall earlier in July) was a highlight of the show. The dancers weaved scintillating patterns on stage, masterfully telling the story of this most fearsome avatar of Shiva that inspires one to truly enjoy the present moment and liberate oneself from the fear of death and worries of the past and future.
From the youngest dancer groups to the senior-most, the different devotional sequences presented Naatya, Nritya and Nritta elements woven together in unique choreographies that brought stories of Ram, Shiva, Ganesh, Krishna, Durga, and Saraswati to life. “Bachpann”, a heartwarming duet by Anupama and Reva, presented at NYKF in June, left not one dry eye in the audience. Three dynamic and brilliant Taranas by the adult and youth teams, complete with breathtakingly ornate movements, dizzying spins, and complex rhythmic patterns, took the afternoon to a climax. The underlying traits in all dances were the grace, coordination, skill, expressions, and rhythmic accuracy of each and every dancer, evidently in love with their art, as they seamlessly transitioned into the many interesting stage formations of their choreographies. The audience marveled at how in-sync they were, living up to the name of their dance school!
The show concluded with all 52 performers of the day on stage, led by Anupama, in a stunning yet serene rendition of the Nava Durga Stotram. This was a fitting finale, a celebration of the feminine energy, power and strength, especially since the show was presented during the Navratri festival.
From the beautiful lobby and stage decorations, the chai, sweet treats, hospitality of the dedicated InSyncKathak volunteers, the enchanting dances, lights and tasteful costumes, to the soul-stirring music courtesy Padmashri Shovana Narayan, Pandit Jwala Prasad, and Pandit Madho Prasad that invoked all the navarasas in the art lovers present that day, “Anukriti” was an unforgettable treat for the senses! The pride of a visibly emotional Guru, and the outpouring of love and respect as the students honored their Guru at the end of the show was a beautiful reminder that the Guru-Shishya-Parampara, the principle upholding the Indian classical arts is alive and thriving in America, half a world away from its place of origin. This is the guiding light that took a small dance school fueled by passion, hard work, and devotion, on to the road of excellence and national recognition!
Photo Credits: Vijay Raghavendiran (www.sfbayphotoandvideo.com)
52 dancers presented 15 traditional Kathak dance items that summarized the remarkable 10 year journey of InSyncKathak Dance School and had the audience charmed, stunned, moved, tearing up, and erupting in applause throughout the afternoon. Among the performances were moving solos by Guru Anupama Srivastava (Founder and Artistic Director), Reva Srivastava (2022 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts and 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 classic favorites were part of the lineup that enthralled the Bay Area audiences in a well-executed, well-attended show “Anukriti” that lasted two and a half hours on October 21st 2023 at the James Logan Center for the Performing Arts, Union City.
The show started with a video message from the legendary Kathak Guru and world-renowned Kathak exponent Padmashri Dr. Shovana Narayan. Her pride in her disciple Anupama’s accomplishments and devotion to Kathak was evident in the words of praise, blessings, and encouragement that she sent across to the entire InSyncKathak family. The graceful emcee Rujul Pathak (InSyncKathak Parent and a well-known Hindustani vocalist who lent her voice to a couple of background scores in the show that day) highlighted the significance of each item to the InSyncKathak community of dancers and parents.
The first dance, titled “Katha Kathak ki - Reimagining the quintessential Kalavati Tarana” was a brilliant concept and choreography by Reva Srivastava which portrayed the evolution of Kathak and its movement vocabulary over the centuries. The journey of Kathak dance itself from temple courtyards to royal courts to concert halls was thoughtfully crafted and expertly rendered by Reva, Vyoma and Aditi, and set the stage for a captivating afternoon showcasing the grace and elegance of the Lucknow Gharana style of Kathak.
Next came a series of solos: “Ek Shloki Ramayan” by Anupama, “Mahadev Shankar” by Reva, and "Jago Ma" by Vyoma that presented strong story-telling and rhythmic prowess of the guru and her shishyas. “Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam”, a spectacular choreography presented by Anupama and the InSyncKathak Youth Team (and premiered at the prestigious Carnegie Hall earlier in July) was a highlight of the show. The dancers weaved scintillating patterns on stage, masterfully telling the story of this most fearsome avatar of Shiva that inspires one to truly enjoy the present moment and liberate oneself from the fear of death and worries of the past and future.
From the youngest dancer groups to the senior-most, the different devotional sequences presented Naatya, Nritya and Nritta elements woven together in unique choreographies that brought stories of Ram, Shiva, Ganesh, Krishna, Durga, and Saraswati to life. “Bachpann”, a heartwarming duet by Anupama and Reva, presented at NYKF in June, left not one dry eye in the audience. Three dynamic and brilliant Taranas by the adult and youth teams, complete with breathtakingly ornate movements, dizzying spins, and complex rhythmic patterns, took the afternoon to a climax. The underlying traits in all dances were the grace, coordination, skill, expressions, and rhythmic accuracy of each and every dancer, evidently in love with their art, as they seamlessly transitioned into the many interesting stage formations of their choreographies. The audience marveled at how in-sync they were, living up to the name of their dance school!
The show concluded with all 52 performers of the day on stage, led by Anupama, in a stunning yet serene rendition of the Nava Durga Stotram. This was a fitting finale, a celebration of the feminine energy, power and strength, especially since the show was presented during the Navratri festival.
From the beautiful lobby and stage decorations, the chai, sweet treats, hospitality of the dedicated InSyncKathak volunteers, the enchanting dances, lights and tasteful costumes, to the soul-stirring music courtesy Padmashri Shovana Narayan, Pandit Jwala Prasad, and Pandit Madho Prasad that invoked all the navarasas in the art lovers present that day, “Anukriti” was an unforgettable treat for the senses! The pride of a visibly emotional Guru, and the outpouring of love and respect as the students honored their Guru at the end of the show was a beautiful reminder that the Guru-Shishya-Parampara, the principle upholding the Indian classical arts is alive and thriving in America, half a world away from its place of origin. This is the guiding light that took a small dance school fueled by passion, hard work, and devotion, on to the road of excellence and national recognition!
Photo Credits: Vijay Raghavendiran (www.sfbayphotoandvideo.com)
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Anukriti - A Review by Tanvi Deshpande
Recently, I had the chance to attend “Anukriti”, the 10th-anniversary recital of InSyncKathak Dance School, at which I had been a student for over nine years, where my guru Smt. Anupama Srivastava, peers, good friends, and even younger sister and mother came together to celebrate Kathak. “Anukriti” demonstrated everything that InSyncKathak has accomplished so far and the potential for everything it has yet to achieve, as dancers of all ages and levels took the stage and showed just how alive and thriving the ancient tradition of Kathak is, even thousands of miles away from where it was originally created, in the temples of India.
The show opened with “Katha Kathak ki", a fresh new take on the traditional “tarana”, which often consists of fast-paced nritta (rhythmic) components and does not have a story-telling component. Katha Kathak Ki, which literally translates to “the story of Kathak”, was choreographed by InSyncKathak dancer Reva Srivastava, combining nritta with a rendition of how Kathak moved from temples to courts to the global stage and evolved from a purely-devotional form to royal entertainment to a diverse and broad artistic tradition with a rich history; the three dancers, Reva, Vyoma, and Aditi, were able to effectively harness nritta (technique and rhythm), nritya (storytelling), and natya (dramatic component) to communicate this dance form’s rich history in just 10 minutes.
Anukriti also featured several compelling solo items. “Ek Shloki Ramayan”, performed by our guru Anupama Srivastava, was an epic solo retelling the Ramayan, in which she took on the roles of over ten different characters to reenact the Ram-Leela stories that many of us grew up hearing. “Mahadev Shankar” was an item honoring Lord Shiva, and performed by Reva Srivastava, where she paid homage to the Lord of dance through impressive footwork and complex tukras, or rhythmic compositions. “Jago Ma” was performed by Vyoma Bhanap, and featured representations of different manifestations of the goddess Durga, including one of the most powerful moments of the show, where she took on the role of Kali Ma, a fierce protective goddess. I remember hearing an audible gasp from myself and the rest of the audience at the powerful pose of the goddess after slaying a demon and drinking their blood. Both Reva and Vyoma had the honor of receiving the National YoungArts Finalist award for World Dance, a prestigious nationwide recognition in the arts. They were felicitated for the same at the recital.
As I watched the show, I realized that I had learned 8 of the 15 items presented. I loved seeing, for example, “Ayodhyavasi Ram” and “Vrindavan”, two items honoring Lord Krishna and Ram, now being presented by two of InSyncKathak’s youngest, and most adorable, groups of dancers; I could already see the playfulness and delight (which I think every Kathak dancer feels from their dance form) blooming in their eyes as they rendered their dances with incredible maturity for their age. There were also devotional items like “Ganesh Vandana” and “Saraswati Vandana”, presented by adolescent and adult dancers respectively, who celebrated the reverence for learning and devotion that all Kathak dancers hold with incredible grace and precision.
Near the end of the first act was also “Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam”, an item that premiered on the world stage in Carnegie Hall this past summer. This is an especially special item to me; as this past year, our team, a combination of three InSyncKathak youth groups, worked for hundreds of hours spanning seven months to learn, rehearse, and polish a choreography that was presented at the All-Indian Dance Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform in such a respected house of the arts for all of us. For several hours a day for weeks, we would work on intricate details, practicing everything from footwork to coordination to facial expressions, giving each other feedback and pointers to improve. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, and showed just how far InSyncKathak has come, from a few group classes held in a garage studio to a reputable dance company that has taken the world stage on several occasions.
During my years of training at InSyncKathak, I have often heard my guru say that a kathak dancer’s journey is not limited by their age. In fact, with age and real-life experiences come an unprecedented grace and maturity that beautify their dance practice. Demonstrating that dance is timeless and ageless, and that learning Kathak is a lifelong journey, two adult dance groups performed “Aangikam”, an ode to Natraj, the dancer form of Lord Shiva, and “Tarana in Raag Malkaus”, taking on complex rhythmic portions and nuanced storylines with ease. Several of these dancers learned Kathak growing up, and some of them were the moms of other InSyncKathak dancers. No matter their background, they proved that “dancer” is an identity we can carry and nurture forever, past our youth and throughout college, careers, and parenthood.
The show opened with “Katha Kathak ki", a fresh new take on the traditional “tarana”, which often consists of fast-paced nritta (rhythmic) components and does not have a story-telling component. Katha Kathak Ki, which literally translates to “the story of Kathak”, was choreographed by InSyncKathak dancer Reva Srivastava, combining nritta with a rendition of how Kathak moved from temples to courts to the global stage and evolved from a purely-devotional form to royal entertainment to a diverse and broad artistic tradition with a rich history; the three dancers, Reva, Vyoma, and Aditi, were able to effectively harness nritta (technique and rhythm), nritya (storytelling), and natya (dramatic component) to communicate this dance form’s rich history in just 10 minutes.
Anukriti also featured several compelling solo items. “Ek Shloki Ramayan”, performed by our guru Anupama Srivastava, was an epic solo retelling the Ramayan, in which she took on the roles of over ten different characters to reenact the Ram-Leela stories that many of us grew up hearing. “Mahadev Shankar” was an item honoring Lord Shiva, and performed by Reva Srivastava, where she paid homage to the Lord of dance through impressive footwork and complex tukras, or rhythmic compositions. “Jago Ma” was performed by Vyoma Bhanap, and featured representations of different manifestations of the goddess Durga, including one of the most powerful moments of the show, where she took on the role of Kali Ma, a fierce protective goddess. I remember hearing an audible gasp from myself and the rest of the audience at the powerful pose of the goddess after slaying a demon and drinking their blood. Both Reva and Vyoma had the honor of receiving the National YoungArts Finalist award for World Dance, a prestigious nationwide recognition in the arts. They were felicitated for the same at the recital.
As I watched the show, I realized that I had learned 8 of the 15 items presented. I loved seeing, for example, “Ayodhyavasi Ram” and “Vrindavan”, two items honoring Lord Krishna and Ram, now being presented by two of InSyncKathak’s youngest, and most adorable, groups of dancers; I could already see the playfulness and delight (which I think every Kathak dancer feels from their dance form) blooming in their eyes as they rendered their dances with incredible maturity for their age. There were also devotional items like “Ganesh Vandana” and “Saraswati Vandana”, presented by adolescent and adult dancers respectively, who celebrated the reverence for learning and devotion that all Kathak dancers hold with incredible grace and precision.
Near the end of the first act was also “Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam”, an item that premiered on the world stage in Carnegie Hall this past summer. This is an especially special item to me; as this past year, our team, a combination of three InSyncKathak youth groups, worked for hundreds of hours spanning seven months to learn, rehearse, and polish a choreography that was presented at the All-Indian Dance Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform in such a respected house of the arts for all of us. For several hours a day for weeks, we would work on intricate details, practicing everything from footwork to coordination to facial expressions, giving each other feedback and pointers to improve. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, and showed just how far InSyncKathak has come, from a few group classes held in a garage studio to a reputable dance company that has taken the world stage on several occasions.
During my years of training at InSyncKathak, I have often heard my guru say that a kathak dancer’s journey is not limited by their age. In fact, with age and real-life experiences come an unprecedented grace and maturity that beautify their dance practice. Demonstrating that dance is timeless and ageless, and that learning Kathak is a lifelong journey, two adult dance groups performed “Aangikam”, an ode to Natraj, the dancer form of Lord Shiva, and “Tarana in Raag Malkaus”, taking on complex rhythmic portions and nuanced storylines with ease. Several of these dancers learned Kathak growing up, and some of them were the moms of other InSyncKathak dancers. No matter their background, they proved that “dancer” is an identity we can carry and nurture forever, past our youth and throughout college, careers, and parenthood.
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Another poignant dance highlighting the role of dance as we mature was “Bachpann”, which was performed by the mother-daughter duo of Anupama Srivastava and Reva Srivastava. “Bachpann”, which means childhood, follows the story of a nostalgic mother who used to dance and a daughter who is just beginning to learn Kathak; as the mother instructs her daughter, she relives seminal moments of her own childhood. Together, they learn and relearn the joys of dance by performing a jugalbandi, or duet. The storyline, I think, resonated with everyone in the audience, as was evident from the tears many had in their eyes as they warmly remembered their own childhood.
Following the Malkaus Tarana, two more groups of budding dancers demonstrated their dexterity in the nritta component of Kathak, by also performing taranas, this time in Raag Bageshwari and Raag Yaman. They flew across the stage with what seemed like countless spins at a time, deftly performed several fast-paced tukras, and showed off their tatkar skills through “sawal-jawab” or “dance-offs” in the form of laris, which are rhythmically sophisticated foot compositions often occurring near the end of taranas.
The show concluded with Nava Durga, in which all of InSyncKathak took the stage to honor the nine incarnations of Durga, a fitting conclusion for this ode to ten years of Kathak that took place during Navratri.
With a couple of music scores composed and sung by Rujul Pathak, an established Indian classical singer in the Bay Area, an InSyncKathak mom, and the gracious emcee of the afternoon, and dances choreographed by Reva Srivastava, and sometimes in part by the group of girls performing them, Anukriti demonstrated the prowess of the InSyncKathak family across a broad range of dimensions in Kathak. It also highlighted our guru’s unique approach to the guru-shishya parampara that blends both the traditional deep respect and reverence for the guru with modern principles of taking in dancers’ input. InSyncKathak doesn’t just train dancers: it trains the next generation of artists, choreographers, critics, and intellectuals in the field of dance.
About the author: Tanvi Deshpande is an InSyncKathak Dancer, Disciple of Guru Anupama Srivastava, and sophomore at Stanford University
Following the Malkaus Tarana, two more groups of budding dancers demonstrated their dexterity in the nritta component of Kathak, by also performing taranas, this time in Raag Bageshwari and Raag Yaman. They flew across the stage with what seemed like countless spins at a time, deftly performed several fast-paced tukras, and showed off their tatkar skills through “sawal-jawab” or “dance-offs” in the form of laris, which are rhythmically sophisticated foot compositions often occurring near the end of taranas.
The show concluded with Nava Durga, in which all of InSyncKathak took the stage to honor the nine incarnations of Durga, a fitting conclusion for this ode to ten years of Kathak that took place during Navratri.
With a couple of music scores composed and sung by Rujul Pathak, an established Indian classical singer in the Bay Area, an InSyncKathak mom, and the gracious emcee of the afternoon, and dances choreographed by Reva Srivastava, and sometimes in part by the group of girls performing them, Anukriti demonstrated the prowess of the InSyncKathak family across a broad range of dimensions in Kathak. It also highlighted our guru’s unique approach to the guru-shishya parampara that blends both the traditional deep respect and reverence for the guru with modern principles of taking in dancers’ input. InSyncKathak doesn’t just train dancers: it trains the next generation of artists, choreographers, critics, and intellectuals in the field of dance.
About the author: Tanvi Deshpande is an InSyncKathak Dancer, Disciple of Guru Anupama Srivastava, and sophomore at Stanford University