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2022

Asmi's
Rangmanch
parvesh

August 27th, 2022

HER JOURNEY
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Asmi didn’t set out to find dance, it has been her home since the beginning. Her dance journey from a young age allowed her to experience a broad spectrum of emotions from the joy of her first dance performance to the fear of her first exam. Dance became part of her and her passion for dance grows day by day.

Asmi started her journey at the age of 5, learning ballet and tap. Even though she enjoyed western dance, as she watched Indian movies at home, she felt the allure of Indian dance. She

thereafter joined Bollywood and Kathak classes. Asmi immediately felt connected to Kathak. The dance felt like the best of all worlds, it had the footwork of tap, the grace and storytelling nature of ballet, and the excitement of Bollywood. She would come home from rehearsals and even though she was exhausted her tired feet ached to dance again. With Kathak, Asmi found herself involuntarily living dance -

practicing dance moves while walking around the house, revising steps in her mind during long showers, and even tapping her fingers in various footwork patterns during class. Kathak, is one of the few times she felt like all her worries are at ease, and she can just get lost in the rhythm of it all. 

Asmi began learning Kathak with Guru Jayantee Payne Ji, and completed her first year Kathak exam there. At the age of 8, she joined Guru Sheila Oak Ji’s kathak classes at Rhythmaya Dance. Under the tutelage of Sheila Ji, Asmi’s love of kathak began to flourish. Over the past decade with Sheila JI, Asmi has had the opportunity to learn from renowned Kathak gurus like Guru Svetlana Tulsai Ji, and even attended a multi week retreat with Guru Rajendra Gangani Ji. She has also had the opportunity to perform at many venues, such as the Cherry Blossom Festival, at an NBA halftime show, and in front of Saroj Khan.

During COVID, to expand her knowledge and foundations of the dance - Asmi began taking classes with Guru Pooja Bhatnagar Ji. The increased comfort in using online video platforms like Zoom, made a desire of Asmi’s to learn with Pooja Ji come true. It helped her solidify her love and sincerity for the art form.

This past year, Asmi has begun teaching the beginner and intermediate levels of Kathak at Rhythmaya dance. 

Asmi has a strong foundation in Kathak, trained in both the Lucknowi and Jaipur Gharana. She hopes to continue learning and teaching Kathak for as long as she possibly can. 

HER SHOW
HER GURUS
THE DANCE

Kathak is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. The term Kathak is derived from the Vedic Sanskrit word Kathak which means "story", and Kathakar which means "the one who tells a story", or "to do with stories".

KATHAK

Kathak originated within Hindu temples as a storytelling device for portraying the epic tales from Hindu scriptures, Mahabharata and Ramayana. 

 

However, the stories didn’t stay within the temple walls for long. Nomadic Kathakars, or wandering storytellers, soon began carrying the dances throughout India. They added emotions and facial expressions to their performances, further developing the dance to include elements of mime and theatricality. In this way, Kathak transitioned from its secluded, devotional origins to a more accessible, multi-disciplined entertainment tradition.

 

During the medieval period, Kathak became an established part of court culture, performed under the patronage of India’s Persian kings and Muslim moghuls. This sealed Kathak’s transition from colloquial entertainment to classical art form, that incorporates elements of both Hindu and Muslim cultures.

Kathak in its present day form, is unique when compared to other dance forms in that there has been constant evolution of this dance form based on the history of India (since 400 BCE). For example the footwork is comparable to the Flamenco style of dance from Spain. The chaakars (or multiple spins) are influenced by Sufiism - the Persian and Turkish dance forms. The crux of Kathak, however, was so dancers could depict the stories that originated from the stories in Hinduism.

RANGMANCH

The Rangmanch Pravesh is a solo concert that showcases a Kathak student's mastery of the form and her development into a skilled dancer. This auspicious occasion is a major milestone in the life of a dancer. It demands complete control and command over the intricacies and nuances of Kathak. It is a culmination of many years of discipline, perseverance and devotion where the dancer presents their art before a live audience.

© 2023 Asmi Pareek

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