Founded by a group of freshmen and sophomore girls, AV Laasya is Amador’s first Indian Classical Dance club. The club’s mission is to promote India’s ancient dance traditions and inspire powerful performances of authentic classical pieces.
“All of us have been dancing together with the same teacher, same classes, for about 10 years now. We went to a lot of competitions and participated. Some of us already had our big dance graduation. So we just thought of sharing it with the community and forming a dance community at Amador,” said Co-President Samyukta Karthik (‘29).
Exploring Traditions
The club explores all types of Indian Classical dance, including the two common forms, Kathak and Bharathnatyam. Kathak originates from northern India, whereas Bharatnatyam originates from southern India. Club officers have developed their skill in the latter style, with some completing their “arangetram,” the first full-length solo performance of a Bharatanatyam dancer.
“[The arangetram] is just you on the stage for two and a half hours, and you’re just showing everything that you’ve done over the years. You perform in front of a public audience. It’s the first milestone in a dancer’s journey. It marks a dancer’s transition from student to a professional dancer,” said Co-President Gaurangi Patil (‘28).
AV Laasya meets bi-weekly on Fridays at lunch in L-6. Social Studies teacher Matthew Willet is the club advisor. The club welcomes everyone, regardless of their skill in dance.
The Performance Team
“The club is both for people who do classical dance and also who are new to it. If people want to learn about the art forms, they can just join the club and we teach about the history of the art and play trivia. But for people who actually do classical dance, we’re creating something called a Performance Team. This team will consist of members who would like to practice with us, go to competitions, and different performances around the bay,” said Co-President Saijayani Saravanan (‘29).
The “Performance Team” will be created on an audition basis. Interested applicants should look on the club’s instagram page for latest updates. The Performance Team will participate in cultural events around the Bay Area, as well as competitions like the local Festival of Globe (FOG) Dance Competition that takes place annually.
“A lot of other high schools around us have Indian classical dance teams as well, like American High School and Irvington. So we also hope to collaborate with them in the future,” said Patil.
AV Laasya seeks to build a community where classical dancers and those interested in dance can connect, learn, grow, and express themselves freely. Officially launching in the fall of 2025, the club is new to campus and is committed to keep growing.
“This club gives me a sense of belonging. I know that Amador has such a huge Indian population, but all my Indian friends don’t really talk about Indian culture, so it’s nice to have a community to bond with over a shared passion and learn more about my culture,” said club member Aditi Seeram (‘29).
