Youth Voices - Ayana Modi Interview
Ayana Modi began studying Kathak in 2014 at Pandit Chitresh Das’ original institution, Chhandam, and continued at the Chitresh Das Institute and was a student at its first session in 2017. She then joined the Youth Company in 2018. Ayana will be performing in “Aastha”, showcasing the elements of the most traditional, rich, and challenging form of kathak, the kathak solo. She will share the stage with her guru-behen Avani Viswanathan on August 2, 2025 at 5pm at College of San Mateo Theater.
Training for this performance is intense. Though it requires nowhere near the challenge and skill needed for a full kathak solo in the style/gharana of Pandit Chitresh Das, it is always a formidable challenge. Guided by the guru, it is a journey even to just dip one’s feet (quite literally) into this powerful tradition. The dancers are also fortunate to perform with brilliant musicians: Ben Kunin - on sarod, Nilan Chaudhuri - on tabla, Saneyee Purandare Bhattacharjee - on vocals, Narendra Joshi - on harmonium, Guru Charlotte Moraga - Artistic Director and padhant. Limited tickets are available, please contact info@chitreshdasinstitute.org with any requests.
Q: What do you want people to know about your kathak journey?
Ayana: You could say that my kathak journey technically began back when I was 3, though I wasn’t the one taking class. My mom used to take kathak classes at the Mountain View branch and I used to tag along, clutching the hem of her kurta as she’d do tatkar. After my mom stopped dancing, perhaps due to my consistent presence, I was signed up for classes at age 6. I tried so many activities — basketball, soccer, even Bollywood dance — but kathak continued to be the activity that resonated with me and brought me joy. When I was 10, I auditioned for the Youth Company and have been a part of it for about 8 years now. From kathak, I’ve learned about the importance of dedication and perseverance, lessons that carry over into other aspects of my life. It’s also become my creative outlet, a space where I can let go of the chaos of everyday life and just immerse myself in my movements. And beyond that, it’s given me a community of lifelong friends and mentors, all of whom I cherish deeply.
Q: What is it like working with Charlotte Didi to prepare for your graduating showcase?
Ayana: Working with Charlotte Didi has definitely been a grueling but rewarding process. I’ve been able to witness her innate ability to choreograph and create firsthand, and it’s immensely inspiring. We’ve gotten to tap into our own creative abilities through this process as well and I’m grateful for her guidance that supports and refines our creations. She’s challenged me to take my dance to new levels through this process, through increased hours of practice, finding areas to incorporate more nuance, and further refining all my hastaaks and kharants. During one of my privates, she told me that when I step on stage, I should be “Ayana 2.0”, an elevated version of myself that’s more confident and in total command of the stage. This vision is what fuels me to push myself beyond my limits and I’m so grateful for Charlotte Didi’s encouragement and support.
Q: Do you remember a moment or a time when you decided you wanted to pour your heart into learning kathak?
Ayana: The audition material for the Youth Company included performing the first 5 natawari tihais on theka, a feat that felt daunting to 10-year-old me. It seemed nearly impossible at the time, with a long summer of hard work and frustration looming ahead. As I practiced, I ran into so many obstacles: I’d miss sam, be completely off taal, lose track of my movements, and more. But, with the consistent guidance of my mentor and Anita Didi, I began to make progress, working through each tihai individually. After months of effort, something clicked. For the first time, I felt the tihais land cleanly on sam and everything was just flowing. That moment, where all my hard work came to fruition, was just one of the moments when I decided I wanted to pour my heart into learning kathak. I wasn’t only learning dance — I was learning dedication, how to connect my mind and my body to rhythm, and how to grow through discipline. I realized the joy that comes from dedication, and I knew I wanted to keep chasing that feeling.
Q: How has what you've done and learned in kathak impacted your day-to-day life?
Ayana: Through kathak, I’ve gained the value of persevering. Setbacks are inevitable, but working my way through them and learning to overcome them is what matters. If I can’t dance a tihai on theka or do a certain footwork up to speed, it can be frustrating and even disheartening. But, I’ve found that if I focus on breaking down these problems, such as looping the nagma in the background while dancing the tihai or building footwork slowly up to speed, I can push through these obstacles. Giving up doesn’t result in progress — but patience and persistence do. This impacts how I tackle issues in my day-to-day life, taking things one step at a time, focusing on the small details first, and trusting that steady effort leads to lasting growth.
Q: What is something that you have discovered through dance that you would like to share?
Ayana: Something that I’ve discovered through dance is that there are no substitutes for hard work and dedication. Practice is quintessential to success, especially in the Youth Company: without maintaining consistent and productive practice (tracked in our detailed logs, of course), improvement doesn’t occur. I’ve learned that if I desire to truly grow as a dancer, I have to be willing to work towards it: success won’t magically manifest itself. As Charlotte Didi always says, the key to improvement is “practice, practice, practice!”
Q: What is one thing about learning kathak that you think people should know?
Ayana: Perfection doesn’t exist in kathak — there’s no limit on how much you can improve and learn. Just as a recent example, we’ve started rehearsals for the Peninsula International Dance Festival. We’re performing Teramatra, a tarana we’ve performed countless times. Yet, during our first rehearsal, Charlotte Didi spent an hour going over specific sections and pointing out new details to direct our improvement towards. Her words were along the lines of: “Even if you think you’ve reached perfection with this tarana, there are always hundreds of nuances I can introduce”. And this just summarizes the essence of kathak: there’s always room to grow. This never-ending journey for progress keeps us striving to be better dancers every time we step into the studio.
Q: What is next for you, what are you most excited about doing?
Ayana: Up next, I’m headed to Stanford University and as of now, planning to study Cellular and Molecular Biology, though I’m also interested in Human Biology and exploring the realm of public health. Everyone is admitted undeclared, so I’m most excited to have the freedom to discover what I'm truly passionate about, whether it be through taking classes on niche and fascinating subjects or getting involved in organizations on campus. I’m also equally elated about being immersed in a community of driven, ambitious students and I look forward to growing and learning from those around me!
Q: If you were to send a message of advice to your 10 year old self, what would you tell her?
Ayana: I would tell her that it wasn’t the end of the world when Anita Didi yelled at you in class for your sloppy hastaaks — there was more to come and everything turned out okay! More than anything, I would tell her to trust herself more and not dwell on her mistakes. Every correction is an opportunity to grow, and holding onto the idea of perfection hinders that learning. I hope she’s proud of how I’ve learned to embrace progress over the illusion of perfection.
“Aastha” featuring Ayana Modi and Avani Viswanathan in their Youth Company Graduating Showcase,
August 2, 2025 at 5pm at College of San Mateo Theater
Brilliant Musicians: Ben Kunin - on sarod, Nilan Chaudhuri - on tabla, Saneyee Purandare Bhattacharjee - on vocals, Narendra Joshi - on harmonium, Guru Charlotte Moraga - Artistic Director and padhant.
Limited tickets available, please contact info@chitreshdasinstitute.org with any requests.