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 event started with a video message from the renowned Kathak guru Padmashri Dr. Shovana Narayan, followed by “Katha Kathak Ki – Reimagining the Quintessential Kalavati Tarana.” The choreography by Reva Srivastava depicted the evolution of Kathak and its movement vocabulary over the centuries as it moved from temple courtyards, to royal courts, and today concert halls.
Next came a series of solos: “Ek Shloki Ramayan” by Anupama Shrivastava, “Mahadev Shankar” by Reva Srivastava, and “Jago Ma” by Vyoma Bhanap. “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 another highlight.
Three dynamic and brilliant taranas by the adult and youth teams, complete with breathtakingly ornate movements, dizzying spins, and complex rhythmic patterns, marked the end of the afternoon concert. To conclude the event, Anupama Srivastava led all 52 performers of the day in a serene rendition of the Nava Durga Stotram.