Aatma Performing Arts celebrated 9th year with ‘Rasa’

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Aatma Performing Arts, the company behind the internationally-acclaimed Bollywood spectacular, ‘Mystic India: The World Tour’, celebrated its 9th year with a brilliant showcase called “Rasa”, featuring their award-winning students and professional company dancers.

The theme for AATMA’s 9th annual show was “navarasa”, the 9 emotions that formed the foundation from which the traditions of dance, music, theatre, art and literature evolved.

Hundreds of costumes, props, and creative lighting gave each of the 9 sections of the show their own mood. Students performed to perfection as audiences applauded in awe of their talent and poignant conviction, according to a press release.

The Creative Director of Aatma, Amit Shah, said, in a press release: “The idea for the showcase was to challenge our students to portray emotions that made them uncomfortable. Usually on stage, joy is an emotion easily expressed, but this year, the challenge was to channel more vulnerable emotions to give their performances more depth.”

Assistant Director of Aatma, Sapna Advani, said: “We wanted each student to go on stage and relate dance to different emotions they have felt in their lives.”

Shah and Advani, along with Aatma’s highly-talented instructors, have trained their students not only dance technique, but also the art of performance.

“It is our goal to give our students confidence to be on stage and perform with their hearts,” Shah said.

The students performed in a variety of dance styles ranging from Indian Classical and folk to hip-hop, Bollywood, and contemporary. Each dance was unique and each style executed with precision.

Earlier this year, Aatma was named the “Best of the Best” dance school in New Jersey’s biggest dance competition, “Dance Pe Chance.”

The school is growing in size, but the quality remains inimitable. The captivating script, attention to detail, and powerful performance took audiences on an epic journey of emotions and left them speechless.