Suparna Kumar
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
An artfully decorated lobby featuring each dancer and their decade long journey with InSyncKathak set the tone for a magical afternoon. Inside the auditorium Guru Anupama Srivastava began by welcoming all the guests, introducing the artists, paying tribute to her Guru Padmashri Dr. Shovana Narayan, and acknowledging all the volunteers. Right from the beginning it was obvious that the audience was in for a treat exploring the richness of the ancient and timeless Kathak dance across its various facets of Nritta, Nritya, and Natya. Laya or rhythm found in Nritta, in combination with Bhava becomes Nritya, which in turn when combined with gestures and actions becomes Natya.
The show began with a tribute to the legendary Padma Vibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj, who passed away earlier this year with an enchanting and heart-warning group dance with all four dancers transporting the audience to Vrindavan and Krishna’s Ras Leela choreographed to “Thunga-Thunga”, a piece composed and sung by Maharaj ji himself. Pt. Birju Maharaj is not only an icon of Kathak dance, but also very personally connected to Guru Anupama Srivastava, as he was Guru Shovana Narayan’s Guru. Dedicating the first piece of the show to Maharaj ji reflected the deep love and reverence for the art form that all the students of InSyncKathak embody. This was followed by another group dance “Rudrashtakam” set to a composition by Swami Tulsidas, in praise of Lord Shiva as the Vedic God Rudra. The four dancers filled the stage with magic, with careful attention to stage space, sharp precise movements, and displayed an amazing breath of Kathak form and vocabulary from signature Kathak moves to complex formations, delighting the audience along the way.
After the group dance, the show followed an innovative format with a segment dedicated to each dancer. First up was Keya Samant, who lit up the stage with a piece titled “OM – The Cosmic Dance of Creation”. In this item, she presented crisp tihais and parans set to teen-taal and moving abhinaya on the Shiv Tandav Strotam . Following that Keya performed a Thumri “Gagar na bharan det tero Kanha” written by Meerabai. Keya portrayed the piece perfectly with her playful expressions. Her final piece was “The Cottage on the Sea ”, a poem written by her presenting an enactment of a riddle, reminiscent of the prahelika-parans once very popular in Kathak abhinaya. The audience got a glimpse of both her creativity and imagination. She was an absolute pleasure to watch.
Next came the spirited Vyvoma Bhanap. Vyoma’s first piece was incredibly powerful, as she took the stage to perform “The Light at the End of the Tunnel” using a blend of dance and narration to bring to life the story of Pooja Ratan Gaikwad, a survivor of human trafficking. Vyoma’s ability to tell a heartbreaking story, portraying a range of complex emotions, hit the audience emotionally, leaving not a dry eye in the audience. This truly reflected the spirit of Kathak in storytelling. Continuing on, she performed fiercely to “Jago Ma – Awaken the Durga Within”, based on a popular Bangla song marking Mahalaya, or the beginning of Durga Puja. Vyoma finished her performance with two classic pieces “Makhan Chori”, where the audience got to see her fun and expressive side and “Bageshwari Tarana” where she showcased her mastery over technique. She filled the auditorium with magic as she performed tukras, strong footwork, and fast perfectly timed pirouettes.
After a short break, the beautiful and talented Rishitha Kona started her segment with a Ganesh Vandana – “Pratham Sumira Shri Ganesh”, set to Raag Bhairav, Taal Ektaal. After that Rishitha performed an endearing Abhinaya or “Nritya-ang” as well as the rhythmic or “Nritta-ang” piece “Phaag Thumri”, where she portrayed the woes of gopis during a chance encounter with naughty Krishna on Holi. Rishita performed the piece with grace and was a joy to watch as she transitioned to Kaafi Tarana. For her self-choreographed piece, Rishitha chose to skillfully explore Kathak movements, typically set to northern Hindustani music, with a Thillana, a classical southern Carnatic music composition, which is similar in concept to a Tarana. Rishitha paid homage to her familial roots in Kuchipudi dance. Interesting composition, well executed, and a fun piece to watch.
The final set of Solo’s were by Reva Srivastava, a brilliant artist who was recently named a 2022 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of 20 artists in the country to receive the honor. Reva captivated the audience from the moment she took the stage with an ode to Lord Krishna performing “Nandakumar Ashtakam ”, enacting the Govardhan Leela Gat Bhav. Her next piece was “Shringaar ” set to Raag Hameer, Rupak Taal, where she charmed the audience with her artistic and graceful side. This was followed by “Raageshwari Tarana ” which showcased various complex Nritta elements like parans, tukras, and a lari. It was a treat to watch Reva’s impeccable timing, magical fast pirouettes, and elegant movements. Her anga-shuddhi and layakari were very impressive. Reva’s final piece was choreographed by her to Taylor Swift’s “Epiphany” where her sensitive portrayal of the similarity between healthcare workers and soldiers highlighted how both make the ultimate sacrifice of risking their lives to save others.
The solos were followed by a short documentary where the dancers talked about their aspirations for the future and how they wish to continue dancing and using the art to make a difference in the world. One could not help but be struck by joy watching these young girls express their passion and join in to celebrate their journey and achievements
The finale of the show was a quintessential and classic Tarana in Raag Charukeshi performed by all four dancers. A perfect way to end the afternoon with an amazing show of intricate footwork, delicate hand movements, and fast pirouettes with the dancers perfectly In-Sync, true to the name of the school. Music for all the traditional Kathak pieces presented were classic compositions by Guru Shovana Narayan and her supremely talented music composers over the decades: Pt. Jwala Prasad, Pt. Madho Prasad and Pt. Indu Prakash. This world class music elevated the viewing experience for all rasikas present that afternoon.
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.
About the author:
Suparna is a Silicon Valley software professional with a passion for Dance. At the young age of sixteen, Suparna won the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy Award (U.P. Chapter) for Kathak Dance. She has over 10 years of training in Kathak, having received training in both Jaipur and Lucknow gharana, from Guru Hanuman Prasad and Guru Pramila Pandey respectively.
