Being Intentional: Anvita Sharma

Anvita Sharma Kathak (@anvitasharma.kathak) • Instagram photos and videos

Born in Boston and raised in LA, Anvita Sharma is a company performer and Kathak dance instructor of the Lucknow Gharana at Kathak Kala Academy. Coming from a family of Hindustani music scholars, she was exposed to various styles of music and dance early on, but finally realized her passion was in Kathak. Anvita first started teaching Kathak at the Pasadena Hindu Temple in April 2007, in the middle of her first career change. She had a degree in Finance, but after a few years of working in the corporate sector, she was back in school studying to become an RN. It was in the middle of nursing school when her Guru Rachana Upadhyay suggested she teach Kathak. From then on and until July 2022, Anvita was a full-time registered nurse and Kathak dance teacher. Having two careers for many years meant working long days, while teaching, performing, and holding lecture demos on nights and weekends. Some of her local work has been presented at Bhakti Fest, JPL, USC Pacific Asia Museum, Madison Square Gardens with Pt Birju Maharaj’s troupe, Mumbai Sister Cities, IJWD and the Ratha Yatra festival. She has enjoyed teaching in the community, watching students grow from elementary school to when they move away to college. After juggling both careers for 15 years, she recently decided to take a leap of faith, and resigned from her nursing career to dedicate herself to Kathak full time. She is also an active member of Indian Performing Arts Center (IPAC), a non-profit organization which strives to preserve Indian culture through dance. She is currently completing her 6th year Prabhakar degree from Prayag Sangeet Samiti Institution of Music and Dance. Anvita offers classes in Pasadena, Anaheim, Irvine, LA and online. With over 20 years of training in this form of art, her journey continues as disciple under Guru Rachana Upadhyay in Los Angeles and more recently, Smt. Durga Arya in Germany.  

(0:02:13) Going Full Time in Kathak

(0:05:25) Insights on Time Management: Teaching Kathak along with being a Registered Nurse

(0:08:15) Planning Systems for Organization

(0:11:05) Having more time for kathakl

(0:14:19) Setting up your Riyaz Space

(0:19:02) How you teach differently

(0:25:59) Affiliating with Prayag Sangeet Samiti

(0:36:02) Starting Lessons on Singing

(0:37:13) What Anvita is learning these days

(0:44:04) Behind the scenes of an Annual Dance Recital

(0:49:39) Insights on creating your own academy