Varsha ji - Thank you for these first few amazing classes! I’m so excited to see Myra’s journey through this, and it’s bringing back such fond memories of my own training.
I was worried that because she’s the youngest she’d struggle but there’s been definite improvement from class 1 to class 4 and she’s so much more focused than I thought she would be (all kudos to you for keeping the class fun and engaging)!
She told me on the way home “she’s ready to practice because she wants to get even better” ☺️ my parents are also reliving the joy they felt watching me learn by now watching Myra learn - truly a blessing 🙏🏽💕 if at any point you feel she should be doing more at home or focusing on specific things, please let me know - this is a priority for us, and we are invested ☺️
---------------------Ruchi Bhargava Asava - Myra Asava----------------------------------------------------------
Guru-shishya, or teacher-student relationships, are a heavily insisted subject of Indian culture that was always implied in my Kathak lessons—an Indian classical dance. The principle emphasized a foundation of respect from the student to the teacher that should be followed to the tee with all teachers, and so I did. Ironically though, even as Kathak itself stressed this point carefully, my Kathak teacher was the last person I felt the pressure to maintain such a strict discipline with.
Although respect clicked naturally whenever we talked, our bond since I started training with her showed me that such principles did not have to define our relationship entirely; we could also connect through friendship. Her comforting character allowed the ice that froze me in social awkwardness and rigid courtesy to melt into friendly banter and conversations. Even so, my respect for her as a teacher continues; she has actively reinforced my goals to be a career woman as she balances her job during the weekdays and dance classes in addition to providing for her family. As a teacher, the numerous hours spent practicing with her have shown me the distinction between respect and a respectful friendship, especially in guru-shishya relations.
As a role model though, she continues to be someone who defines my ideals for my career all while being someone to look up to while sharing laughs with.
---------------------------------Smithi Balan---------------------------------------------------------------
To my dearest Varsha Maushi,
I remember the first time I ever came to your house, and for whatever reason I started crying my eyes out, and I remember the way you hugged me and everything was OK again. From that day on, I knew that you were going to have a significant impact on my life and knew that we were going to form a bond that was made of steel, - unbreakable
You have taught me so many LESSONS including confidence, making the most of what you have, not letting other people take advantage of you and I will forever be grateful for that. You are someone who is so talented, and your passion for Kathak drives me everyday to try and hone this art that I am pursuing. I love you very much and I admire you for all that you are, like confident, extremely intelligent, strong, outright hilarious and yot have this ability too to juggle different things on your plate and somehow manage to be your light, happy self, which I think is just AMAZING and so admirable.
You radiate this type of Aura, that makes everyone around you love you and makes them want to keep learning from you!
In conclusion, I just want to say that I LOVE YOU very much and
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST DANCE TEACHER IN THE WORLD!!
----------------------------Lots of Love - Shriya Siddharth Bhayani (10-8-2023)----------------------------------
Since our move back to Austin, one of the most difficult things for us was finding a Kathak community that was grounded in the strength and empowerment of women. We have been so lucky to to find Varsha Bankapure-Jawadekar, founder of Nritya Varsha Dance Academy. She has been a great mentor for the girls and women in this community.
------------------------------Mamta Accapadi---------------------------------------------------------------
I had to tell you that you made me immensely comfortable with the instructions today!
I was completely anxiety ridden and miserable after last week- especially since I have absolutely no coordination and grace 😛
And of-course, being the extreme introvert, I am terrified of performing publicly! But I’ll get to that later.
For today, thank you! You are an awesome teacher 🙏🏻
----------------------------------------Dilda Dalvi----------------------------------------------------------
Varsha,
I didn’t get a chance to talk with you after class but Aarohi loved the first class today.
She is a very shy girl and takes time to open up at first but once she does she is unstoppable. She will soon get comfortable.
I loved the way you explained the theory in a very easy and simpler language.
Can’t wait to begin learning kathak myself at your class.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks a bunch to you Varsha for giving us an opportunity to be a part of this amazing event. We had so much fun and also learnt new things.
You really pulled off the show very gracefully. You are a remarkable person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-----------------------------Anamika Bajpai---------------------------------------------------------------
Congrats Varsha and team for the Splendid show !!!
Arushi was in Kathak mode as well all day yesterday.
Thank you,
--------------------------------------------Meen and Navin Misra----------------------------------------
Thank you Tai. You have been an amazing teacher, mentor and a friend. Lots of love to you!!
Regards,
---------------------------------------------Rutuja-------------------------------------------------------
Hi Varsha,
Thank you for all your countless efforts!! For being there for the kids always. Your passion to teach and share and pass on your knowledge to the kids is very precious to us. Thank you !! Keep it going!!
Three cheers for Varsha Maushi
Hip hip hurray!
Hip hip hurray!
Hip hip hurray!!
Lots of love
---------------------------------------------Kalambi Family----------------------------------------------------
THANK YOU VARSHA!!
You deserve to bask in the light of appreciation and pride. All the kids did awesome and your hard work along with theirs was truly evident. Everybody was praising the performances. Thank you for being so passionate and creating such a wonderful atmosphere of fun and love for dance for all of us. We loved every minute of it.
Get some rest and see you again in October.
Thanks and regards
-------------------------------------------Rekha Shirtekar-------------------------------------------------------
Dear Varsha,
The entire recital and every one's performance was stunning. It comes from hours of practice you have taken with the girls and giving your selfless time for it. It is the most enjoyable dance performance I have watched. Thank you again for all your efforts.
-----------------------------------------Anjali Pargaonkar------------------------------------------------------
Dear Varsha -
Yesterday's show was simply mesmerizing!! I have no words. At one point I had tears in my eyes.
Sorry, I could not be of much assistance but I had the opportunity of enjoying every single moment of the show sitting in the first row. Each act/performance was amazing.
Again, thank you for teaching our kids the love and passion for Kathak. I am sure they will cherish this knowledge and memories all through their lives. Kudos to you and your reflections ( students)
Looking forward many more such events in the future..
----------------------------------------------Gauri Chande--------------------------------------------------
A big Thank You to you, Varsha! Amazing performance by everyone under your guidance. It was definitely worth more than ten dollars. Thanks for a superb evening! Some of my Indian friends are asking for your info. Hope NrityaVarsha grows more and keep this artform alive with the second generation here.
Have a restful Sunday.
------------------------------------------------Lina Chaudhary---------------------------------------------
Hi Varsha and Participants
Ditto to Kalambi Family thoughts! J
Thank you for your efforts. Heartiest congratulations to you and your pride, your strength and your reflection!
Extremely proud of you and your entire team. Glad to be part of this amazing mesmerizing event!
--------------------------------------------Badrayani’s ---------------------------------------------------
Dear Varsha & participants,
My exact thought to what Kalambi & Badrayani family said.
Thank you tons & loads for making us part of this amazing awesum mesmerizing program. Congratulations to you & your team.
Everyone really rocked.
---------------------------------------SheetalNiranjan----------------------------------------------------
Everyone's hardwork paid off and it shows on stage! Im so glad the academy has made a presence, Varsha, time to get ready for more students!
Varsha, the choreo looks fantastic! I got a lot of feedback from so many friends that many times classical dance shows become kinda boring, but our show did not forget to entertain in addition to sticking to classical.
To more recitals, performances and more success to NrityaVarsha!
-----------------------------------------------Divya Dinakar----------------------------------------------
Kudos to everyone!! Dancers, parents and of course Varsha!! So proud to be a part of this awesome recital! We all simply rocked and all the hard work certainly paid off. Got awesome reviews. One friend mentioned she had goosebumps watching it!!!!
Varsha, thanks for all your persistence and passion!! You rock!
Looking forward to more performances with NrityaVarsha!
----------------------------------------Aditi Satam!----------------------------------------------------------
Thank you Varsha Tai for everything! I truly appreciate all your effort, time and commitment that you have made for all of us. All of the dances are well put together. I agree the choreo is very beautiful.
It was truly a success.
Have an amazing weekend everyone,
-----------------------------------------Karishma Parikh----------------------------------------------------
Stunning Performance!! By each and everyone one who participated!! The Confidence , pride and a great dancing attitude was there throughout the programme. It was consistent! Songs selection and Choreography was really a global class!
It was a pleasure for us to witness our kids in a exclusive dance arena like this. The kids were also inspired by the seniors and adults batch to look forward for the passion in dance and grow with it.
Varsha and team rocks!!
--------------------------------------Priya Suresh--------------------------------------------------------
Well done Varsha! Really.. Really amazing and mesmerizing performance by all the participants. Thanks Varsha for all your tireless efforts, excellent coordination and choreography.
Thanks to all moms who gave support during the practice and offcourse the help on performance day.
Kudos to ya'll!
------------------------------------Mayura Gupte--------------------------------------------------------
What a performance... It was just mesmerizing!
Thanks Varsha for your dedication and hard work. As a whole everybody including the participants, the backstage support, the moms and the compere were totally awesum..!!!!
Avni has grown as a dancer over the past year.. Thanks to you Varsha .
--------------------------------Sarika n Vikram-------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Varsha and team:
Thank You so much for an amazing, amazing recital event. I echo similar thoughts as shared by others already starting with the Kalambi family.
Heartiest Congratulations to you and all your students for this inspriing event.
We feel honored to be part of this wonderful experience.
------------------------------------------Shrotriyas---------------------------------------------------
Good morning Varsha,
Just want to thank you for taking the time to teach me that wonderful workshop. You are an excellent teacher.
Be well,
---------------------------------Brittany----------------------------------------------------------
I was worried that because she’s the youngest she’d struggle but there’s been definite improvement from class 1 to class 4 and she’s so much more focused than I thought she would be (all kudos to you for keeping the class fun and engaging)!
She told me on the way home “she’s ready to practice because she wants to get even better” ☺️ my parents are also reliving the joy they felt watching me learn by now watching Myra learn - truly a blessing 🙏🏽💕 if at any point you feel she should be doing more at home or focusing on specific things, please let me know - this is a priority for us, and we are invested ☺️
---------------------Ruchi Bhargava Asava - Myra Asava----------------------------------------------------------
Guru-shishya, or teacher-student relationships, are a heavily insisted subject of Indian culture that was always implied in my Kathak lessons—an Indian classical dance. The principle emphasized a foundation of respect from the student to the teacher that should be followed to the tee with all teachers, and so I did. Ironically though, even as Kathak itself stressed this point carefully, my Kathak teacher was the last person I felt the pressure to maintain such a strict discipline with.
Although respect clicked naturally whenever we talked, our bond since I started training with her showed me that such principles did not have to define our relationship entirely; we could also connect through friendship. Her comforting character allowed the ice that froze me in social awkwardness and rigid courtesy to melt into friendly banter and conversations. Even so, my respect for her as a teacher continues; she has actively reinforced my goals to be a career woman as she balances her job during the weekdays and dance classes in addition to providing for her family. As a teacher, the numerous hours spent practicing with her have shown me the distinction between respect and a respectful friendship, especially in guru-shishya relations.
As a role model though, she continues to be someone who defines my ideals for my career all while being someone to look up to while sharing laughs with.
---------------------------------Smithi Balan---------------------------------------------------------------
To my dearest Varsha Maushi,
I remember the first time I ever came to your house, and for whatever reason I started crying my eyes out, and I remember the way you hugged me and everything was OK again. From that day on, I knew that you were going to have a significant impact on my life and knew that we were going to form a bond that was made of steel, - unbreakable
You have taught me so many LESSONS including confidence, making the most of what you have, not letting other people take advantage of you and I will forever be grateful for that. You are someone who is so talented, and your passion for Kathak drives me everyday to try and hone this art that I am pursuing. I love you very much and I admire you for all that you are, like confident, extremely intelligent, strong, outright hilarious and yot have this ability too to juggle different things on your plate and somehow manage to be your light, happy self, which I think is just AMAZING and so admirable.
You radiate this type of Aura, that makes everyone around you love you and makes them want to keep learning from you!
In conclusion, I just want to say that I LOVE YOU very much and
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST DANCE TEACHER IN THE WORLD!!
----------------------------Lots of Love - Shriya Siddharth Bhayani (10-8-2023)----------------------------------
Since our move back to Austin, one of the most difficult things for us was finding a Kathak community that was grounded in the strength and empowerment of women. We have been so lucky to to find Varsha Bankapure-Jawadekar, founder of Nritya Varsha Dance Academy. She has been a great mentor for the girls and women in this community.
------------------------------Mamta Accapadi---------------------------------------------------------------
I had to tell you that you made me immensely comfortable with the instructions today!
I was completely anxiety ridden and miserable after last week- especially since I have absolutely no coordination and grace 😛
And of-course, being the extreme introvert, I am terrified of performing publicly! But I’ll get to that later.
For today, thank you! You are an awesome teacher 🙏🏻
----------------------------------------Dilda Dalvi----------------------------------------------------------
Varsha,
I didn’t get a chance to talk with you after class but Aarohi loved the first class today.
She is a very shy girl and takes time to open up at first but once she does she is unstoppable. She will soon get comfortable.
I loved the way you explained the theory in a very easy and simpler language.
Can’t wait to begin learning kathak myself at your class.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks a bunch to you Varsha for giving us an opportunity to be a part of this amazing event. We had so much fun and also learnt new things.
You really pulled off the show very gracefully. You are a remarkable person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-----------------------------Anamika Bajpai---------------------------------------------------------------
Congrats Varsha and team for the Splendid show !!!
Arushi was in Kathak mode as well all day yesterday.
Thank you,
--------------------------------------------Meen and Navin Misra----------------------------------------
Thank you Tai. You have been an amazing teacher, mentor and a friend. Lots of love to you!!
Regards,
---------------------------------------------Rutuja-------------------------------------------------------
Hi Varsha,
Thank you for all your countless efforts!! For being there for the kids always. Your passion to teach and share and pass on your knowledge to the kids is very precious to us. Thank you !! Keep it going!!
Three cheers for Varsha Maushi
Hip hip hurray!
Hip hip hurray!
Hip hip hurray!!
Lots of love
---------------------------------------------Kalambi Family----------------------------------------------------
THANK YOU VARSHA!!
You deserve to bask in the light of appreciation and pride. All the kids did awesome and your hard work along with theirs was truly evident. Everybody was praising the performances. Thank you for being so passionate and creating such a wonderful atmosphere of fun and love for dance for all of us. We loved every minute of it.
Get some rest and see you again in October.
Thanks and regards
-------------------------------------------Rekha Shirtekar-------------------------------------------------------
Dear Varsha,
The entire recital and every one's performance was stunning. It comes from hours of practice you have taken with the girls and giving your selfless time for it. It is the most enjoyable dance performance I have watched. Thank you again for all your efforts.
-----------------------------------------Anjali Pargaonkar------------------------------------------------------
Dear Varsha -
Yesterday's show was simply mesmerizing!! I have no words. At one point I had tears in my eyes.
Sorry, I could not be of much assistance but I had the opportunity of enjoying every single moment of the show sitting in the first row. Each act/performance was amazing.
Again, thank you for teaching our kids the love and passion for Kathak. I am sure they will cherish this knowledge and memories all through their lives. Kudos to you and your reflections ( students)
Looking forward many more such events in the future..
----------------------------------------------Gauri Chande--------------------------------------------------
A big Thank You to you, Varsha! Amazing performance by everyone under your guidance. It was definitely worth more than ten dollars. Thanks for a superb evening! Some of my Indian friends are asking for your info. Hope NrityaVarsha grows more and keep this artform alive with the second generation here.
Have a restful Sunday.
------------------------------------------------Lina Chaudhary---------------------------------------------
Hi Varsha and Participants
Ditto to Kalambi Family thoughts! J
Thank you for your efforts. Heartiest congratulations to you and your pride, your strength and your reflection!
Extremely proud of you and your entire team. Glad to be part of this amazing mesmerizing event!
--------------------------------------------Badrayani’s ---------------------------------------------------
Dear Varsha & participants,
My exact thought to what Kalambi & Badrayani family said.
Thank you tons & loads for making us part of this amazing awesum mesmerizing program. Congratulations to you & your team.
Everyone really rocked.
---------------------------------------SheetalNiranjan----------------------------------------------------
Everyone's hardwork paid off and it shows on stage! Im so glad the academy has made a presence, Varsha, time to get ready for more students!
Varsha, the choreo looks fantastic! I got a lot of feedback from so many friends that many times classical dance shows become kinda boring, but our show did not forget to entertain in addition to sticking to classical.
To more recitals, performances and more success to NrityaVarsha!
-----------------------------------------------Divya Dinakar----------------------------------------------
Kudos to everyone!! Dancers, parents and of course Varsha!! So proud to be a part of this awesome recital! We all simply rocked and all the hard work certainly paid off. Got awesome reviews. One friend mentioned she had goosebumps watching it!!!!
Varsha, thanks for all your persistence and passion!! You rock!
Looking forward to more performances with NrityaVarsha!
----------------------------------------Aditi Satam!----------------------------------------------------------
Thank you Varsha Tai for everything! I truly appreciate all your effort, time and commitment that you have made for all of us. All of the dances are well put together. I agree the choreo is very beautiful.
It was truly a success.
Have an amazing weekend everyone,
-----------------------------------------Karishma Parikh----------------------------------------------------
Stunning Performance!! By each and everyone one who participated!! The Confidence , pride and a great dancing attitude was there throughout the programme. It was consistent! Songs selection and Choreography was really a global class!
It was a pleasure for us to witness our kids in a exclusive dance arena like this. The kids were also inspired by the seniors and adults batch to look forward for the passion in dance and grow with it.
Varsha and team rocks!!
--------------------------------------Priya Suresh--------------------------------------------------------
Well done Varsha! Really.. Really amazing and mesmerizing performance by all the participants. Thanks Varsha for all your tireless efforts, excellent coordination and choreography.
Thanks to all moms who gave support during the practice and offcourse the help on performance day.
Kudos to ya'll!
------------------------------------Mayura Gupte--------------------------------------------------------
What a performance... It was just mesmerizing!
Thanks Varsha for your dedication and hard work. As a whole everybody including the participants, the backstage support, the moms and the compere were totally awesum..!!!!
Avni has grown as a dancer over the past year.. Thanks to you Varsha .
--------------------------------Sarika n Vikram-------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Varsha and team:
Thank You so much for an amazing, amazing recital event. I echo similar thoughts as shared by others already starting with the Kalambi family.
Heartiest Congratulations to you and all your students for this inspriing event.
We feel honored to be part of this wonderful experience.
------------------------------------------Shrotriyas---------------------------------------------------
Good morning Varsha,
Just want to thank you for taking the time to teach me that wonderful workshop. You are an excellent teacher.
Be well,
---------------------------------Brittany----------------------------------------------------------
