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Rasika School of Dance gets opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall and shares insight on the Indian dance culture

  • Aniya Faulcon
Rasika School of Dance dancers

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Rasika School of Dance dancers

Airdate: Tuesday, March 14, 2023

On The Spark Tuesday we spoke with members of a dance school in Harrisburg that will be performing on the world’s stage at the Carnegie Hall in New York, which is known as one of the most famous and finest venues in the United States for artists and audiences.

Rachita Nambiar, founder and artistic director of the Rasika School of Dance, and Anoushka Nambiar, senior student and teaching assistant at the Rasika School of Dance, joined us to tell us about their school, how they received the opportunity of a lifetime to perform at Carnegie Hall and the challenges dancers face with different styles of dance.

At the Rasika School of Dance students are taught Bharatanatyam, a South Indian classical dance style. Anoushka said, the dance style can be strict, as it has specific attire, makeup, and movement requirements. Rachita shared that practicing Bharatanatyam can also be rigorous, in India, when attempting to adhere to the instruction of a guru under challenging conditions.

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Rasika School of Dance dancers performing

“One of the challenges I faced when I was practicing is perfectionism. You always want to do everything right, not just for yourself, but also for your teacher,” Anoushka said. “It’s been difficult to have my mother also be my guru. Most of the time I don’t want to let her down, but also myself down.”

Rachita said, although there are specific guidelines to follow when doing Bharatanatyam, what makes a great dancer is their passion. Rachita and her dance school students hope to share their passion on the Carnegie Hall stage and during their upcoming performance at Gamut Theatre in Harrisburg.

For more information on their upcoming performances visit rasikadance.com.

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