By E. Nina Rothe
The Sa Dance Company in NYC
On Friday, May 14th NYC audiences were privy to a magical dance performance at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, courtesy of the Sa Dance Company and the twelve fantastic dancers who make up this breathtaking ensemble. With the theater packed wall to wall, the atmosphere on and off the stage was infectiously exhilarating.

Watching a group of women dance in such organic unison and performing with such enthusiasm and perfect form is simply enchanting. But the beauty of Sa Dance Company - under the artistic direction of Payal Kadakia - runs deeper than their perfectly performed routines and stunningly put together women. Their deep allure lies within the uniqueness of each individual member of this dance company, their varied interpretation of the material and their distinct characters and physique.

Dance great Merce Cunningham once said "You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive. It is not for unsteady souls." I would add to his statement that a great dancer has to give him or herself completely to their art, without expecting their ego to be pampered or their pride to be soothed.

It is in fact those dancers who can make their art seem quite effortless that we, as an audience, most enjoy watching. Because hidden within those fluid, apparently simple moves lie the true artists. Devoid of the bravado that will make them seem like heroes in their jumps, or heroines in their pirouettes, the twelve women who make up the corps of the Sa Dance Company are just such magical dancers. But a word of caution: Try to replicate any of their single moves and you'll realize just how challenging their routines truly are.

The performance started with a piece titled 'I Believe' and indeed, it made me believe in a world where beauty and grace not only exist, but reign supreme! Dedicated to the dancers' mothers, with music by A.R. Rahman and Sur Madhur Productions, 'I Believe' was folk in tone but modern in execution. Piece 'Two' - by name and order - featured the dancers in a black dress and peach dupatta, to the music of various Bollywood favorites, their dancing a bit more contemporary in style. After the intermission, filmmaker Mira Nair took the stage to show her support for Payal Kadakia, the woman who taught Nair to dance a routine she performed at her niece's wedding. She gushed about the grace and talent of the company and assured that they all have "A very quick job waiting for them, when 'Monsoon Wedding' opens on Broadway, as a musical!"

In the third piece, 'A Bollywood Tale' the dancers gave Aishwarya and Madhuri Dixit a run for their money, even performing the infamous 'Dola Re Dola' from Bhansali's 'Devdas'. And, dulcis in fundo, the company closed the evening with a totally contemporary piece titled 'ID #: AIMNEDRIIACA' which not only showed a more acrobatic side to their talent but also showcased their wide dramatic range and contemporary technical abilities.

After the performance, EGO caught up with Payal Kadakia, to find out more about Sa Dance Company and the woman who founded it.

EGO: What inspired you to become a dancer?
PAYAL KADAKIA: When I was about 3 or 4 years old, I started dancing with one of my mom’s close friends. We were a group of 10 girls, and we started training in folk dancing, and began to do about 4 or 5 competitions annually. We would train in someone’s basement every other Saturday morning or so. I did that for about 10 – 15 years. Throughout, I also trained in classical forms with my dance teacher. At the same time I was watching Bollywood films, and became enamored with actresses like Madhuri Dixit. I started performing more at the entertainment side of family functions. People always told me I danced with my heart, and that I was really into the music. I would watch Madhuri Dixit over and over again...

EGO: How did Sa Dance Company come about?
PAYAL KADAKIA: A lot of the girls in Sa are girls I’ve danced with at some point or the other – either in college dance troupes, or a Bollywood dance company here in New York. Then, about a year ago, me and another dancer (Pooja Bakri) were at an outdoor dance festival. We realized that people love Indian dance so much, and we thought there has to be a more standardized way to present Indian dance. There wasn’t any place for an American person to just go and see Indian dance. Our goal became to raise the bar in presenting Indian dance to the world, and I wanted to make sure we educated people too. I was especially inspired by Alvin Ailey, whose modern dance style is influenced by his African American culture. That’s the way I want to do it for Indian dance - I want people to embrace the culture and the traditions through dance.

EGO: How would you describe the overall dancing style of Sa Dance Company?
PAYAL KADAKIA: A lot of thought has been put into this. It’s a new form of dance I would say – contemporary Indian-American dance. Yes, it’s definitely influenced by many Indian styles, especially all the folk styles; but it is also influenced by American forms that I’ve learned over time: ballet, jazz, modern. Even in terms of the songs we choose, we try to use other parts of our bodies to expand Indian movement.

EGO: What moves you most when you watch another dancer?
PAYAL KADAKIA: What moves me most is when a dancer loses themselves on stage; that’s the magic that comes. Dancers can always train in the same thing, but what really touches me is when a dancer dances from the heart. One of the number-one things that I look for is a dancer who can perform wholeheartedly; where it’s not all about technique, because that is the given; it is that X factor that makes them amazing. Luckily over time, I have met these girls through these dance experiences; they bring that to the table and that’s when I love myself.

EGO: And what are some of your pet peeves about the profession?
PAYAL KADAKIA: My pet peeve is that right now it’s very difficult to branch out, to create something new within an atmosphere because it’s very easy for people to stereotype you into a certain style. There are different companies all around that do various types of Indian dance. People have to work together to help build this Indian community. It’s all about raising standards and we need to continue working together and supporting each other, and being open-minded to what everyone has to present.

About the author: E. Nina Rothe ran her own column at Chic Today for over a year and a half where she interviewed Sooni Taraporevala, Zoya Akhtar and Liz Mermin among many others. She currently writes for AVS TV. She has just been published in Tehelka Magazine and Bespoke as well. You can find her personal writing on her blog The Ajnabee Websites: (http://theajnabee.com/)