Nayikas
is a Dance School started when a small group of women came together to dance on a red-floored Gurukula, atop a hill in Northern NSW, Australia.
In 2016, we encountered our dearest teacher, 'Monicaji' or Monica Singh Sangawan, from Sohamasmi Performing Arts Centre, now residing in Melbourne. Since then, we have been under her guidance and care.
Monica draws profound inspiration from the vast capabilities of Odissi dance, catering to present generations while upholding the Gurukul value system. This system places value on the inseparable bond shared by the teacher and the student, emphasizing a lifelong journey of exchange rather than hierarchical structures. Art, for her, serves as a tool to carve inner personalities, fostering mutual growth, confident self-awareness, and artistic excellence. The Gurukul tradition stands as the time-tested method where traditional art forms are taught through a continuous, cyclical process of renewal. ~ excerpt from Sohamasmi Centre for Performing Arts.
We were fortunate to participate in some of her intensive workshops in Australia, Varanasi, Jagannatha Puri, and with her Guru, Srimate Madhavi Mudgal. Monica visits us annually and maintains our teachings through twice-weekly online classes.
One of her students, Syami Hedemark (yours truly), now conducts ongoing classes in Murwillumbah, NSW.
Since the age of three, Syami Hedemark has trained in classical ballet with the Royal Academy of Dance in New Zealand. After completing her Solo Seal, she worked with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, The Imperial Russian Ballet, and performed on the Broadway production of "Cats" in New York.
In 2016, Syami and her family moved to Australia, where, guided by her Guru Monica Singh Sangawan of Sohamasmi School of Performing Arts, she started learning Odissi classical dance.
Syami believes that Odissi is a living art form, offering individuals the chance to cultivate a sense of joy, purpose, and contentment through its interwoven values and morals.
She also holds regular folk dance workshops, bringing her Gujurati garbha roots to the forefront and aims to unite women and the community in strength and celebration. She recently collaborated on a project with Jahnavi Harrison's music video "Govinda" and successfully presented her dance school's sold-out show, "Taruni” at the end of 2023.
For Syami, dance is a lifetime Bhakti Yoga and sadhana she feels honored to be in lineage with. Her classes create a dynamic environment for individuals to systematically explore their physical and metaphysical aspects of being through dance and devotion.
Our School is Dedicated to Aruna Pavitran who danced with us since the beginning.
We lost her last year. She bravely passed with dignity and surrender.
Everyone in class brings their own unique attributes and she was like her famous green mango chutney.
Strong, punchy striking and bursting with flavour.
We miss her dearly.
I discussed with her a revolution of arts here.
A beautiful dance school, with a large outside amphitheater - filled with laughter, rehearsals and music by day and intimate classical poetic showcases by night.
So this school is for her.