Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarika Nayak
Hi Sarika, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Dance has always been the first love of my life . That’s pretty obvious when you are inclined to dance naturally and have been receiving training with fantastic Gurus from the age of 3 .
My husbands IT projects got me to Utah , just like many immigrants I was feeling very homesick in Utah for a while . To add this void feeling , my son was diagonized with Autism at the age of 2 . I needed a source of strength to keep me happy and return to my familyvas a happy person . My journey to teach dance , perform in various diverse platforms and connect people sharing same passion started there .
I just followed my passion and everything else just followed me . I was recruited as the official Bollywood dance teacher in Repretory Dance Theatre in salt lake in 2017 . I was curious to tell stories , share culture and history of various dance forms that comes from India . This was a prime location in Utah that got me connected to so many dance lovers and I started building out a happy dance community .
2017 I also joined a dance company as a volunteer dance coach called BollyPop founded my amazingly talented dancer Aakansha Maheshwari . I got so many wings under this umbrella . Since then I have nurtured myself as an approachable dance instructor who loves to use dance to make people happy. Today BollyPop Utah branch has close to 60 dedicated students accross all age groups .
We perform in diverse plattforms like Utah Color festival , Utah Asian festival , Salt Lake City Library event, Utah student association festival etc.
We conduct cultural workshops in Olympus high school , Hilcrest high school and Dancing moose school every year.
We are invited to teach and choreograpgh wedding parties specifically designed with Bollywood theme to create memorable experiences with the family .
We are invited by corporates to create a rich cultural experiences in their special occasions and bring on a vibrant diverse showcase for their employees .
Being a learner always and passion to share my culture has got me so far. I also feel blessed to marry the most amazing man in the world who works with me equally hard to keep my passion alive .
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would not say it’s been a smooth road .
Everyday is a struggle still . Dealing with a personal life where you are a mother of an autistic non verbal child and a full time IT professional it’s very difficult to maintain routines in a structured way every single time .
But down the road because my offerings , and fun BollyPop routines we have been able to build an amazing helpful community . Mostly all are Moms in my class who understand my struggle , they are always ready to help me anytime I need them.
After years of training , my students are confindant now to do so many tasks without me . I have fellow dance dance instructors who come forward to help me achieve my community goals .
I have mentors who guide me and help me to not to leave my passion under any circumstances .
Also better planning , organizing and thinking ahead of time has helped me to run my dance community in a healthy way .
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am trained Odissi Dancer from India who has been practicing this dance form over 15 years under the guidance of respected Gurus from India . This is my specialization .
I have been performing Odissi in many occasions in the valley and soon going to start regular classes around this dance form to keep this 3000 years old traditional dance form alive .
My body language is trained more to adapt Indian classical dancing , Indian folk dance forms and Indian semiclassical choreopgraphies . I trained myself in other dance forms like Hop-hop , Jazz , freestyle movements to create Bollywood choreographies .
I am known mostly for creating fun , story telling expressive experiences through my dance . In my Bollywood classes, I always choose a story to tell and add fun and engaging movements in the choreography to engage the students . I am also known for my stamina and energy. I think some part of it is God gifted and part of it is developed through years of dancing and experience .
The thing that i am super proud of is my dance organization “ BollyPop Utah” . This has taken 10 years to build this community and we are still going strong.
My energy , positive spirit to move on inspite of all kinds of odds and dedication to my craft sets me apart from many.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
These days I find so many good influencers in social media who offer mentorship related to various topics in Dance . I personally follow dancers like Aakansha Maheshwari and Bijayani Sathpathy and learn a lot .
I have been lucky to join the organization called BollyPop( Founded by Aakansha Maheshwari)where on a regular basis I got to work closely with the founder to develope my instructor skills .
If you are a beginner in your dance instructor journey it’s helpful to recognize an experienced instructor closer to you who is willing to collaborate and figure out the path from there .
I feel a true dancer is always hungry to share, we should just learn not to hesitate to start these conversations .
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bollypopla.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarikabollypoputah
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19z8W1bWHc/
