Anika: A young dancer on the rise

Kathak, one of the eight forms of Indian classical dance, originated in North India. The term “kathak” is derived from the Sanskrit word “katha,” meaning story and “kathaka” means she who tells a story.
Bangladesh has quite a few accomplished Kathak dancers to boast of and young dancers such as Tahmina Anwar Anika are seemingly treading the right track to greatness.
The 18-year-old Anika began learning the ropes of dance at the age of three. Trained initially by Munmun Ahmed, she began taking lessons from gurus Pandit Krishan Mohan Misra and Pandit Belayet Hossain Khan. “I didn't know any other dance form when I was a kid. There was this annual function and I was not selected, as I wasn't learning dance officially. Shortly after that, I started training under my gurus.”
Anika gave her first performance at the age of five. She won several contests, including a national competition organised by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. These were hard won achievements. The young dancer says that she had to struggle a great deal to qualify for what she has achieved so far and looks forward to further accomplishments in future.
A tough challenge, she says is combining dance with academics. She would like to major in both science and dance. When asked if she has any plan on the dance front other than enhancing her knowledge in it, she says with a captivating smile “Yes, I definitely do.
“Although I don't want to be a teacher, I want to work with dance. I want to break the tradition of following the same old poses and postures taught by our teachers. I want to gain enough knowledge in dance first, and then work on it and generate awareness in the
concept that a lot more can be achieved by breaking boundaries.”
“Songs speak to me, and I reply to them with my rhythmic stomping. It is tough, it has always been, and my daily routine revolves around my dancing. I take two-three hours from my daily routine just so I can sharpen my dancing skills,” she adds. To promote Kathak in its purest form, and represent our culture at an international level, Anika is involved with organisations such as the World Dance Alliance.
With her passion for dance, Anika is a superb role model for other up and coming dancers. Hopefully they will follow her lead.