Today we’d like to introduce you to Samarpita Bajpai.
Hi Samarpita, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
We migrated to the United States in 2001. I was a professional dancer/choreographer/instructor back in India, specializing in East Indian classical dances. Once we arrived in Kansas City, I started touring the country as a solo concert artist. In 2009 I established Gurukul Academy, an institute offering specialized training in the East Indian classical forms. In 2012 started another new chapter, the Gurukul Dance Company, the touring wing. Presenters that had invited me as a soloist were thrilled to invite the Company now. We mounted many ground breaking productions, did collaborations with local artists, and the story went on. Word spread, and more students enrolled to be part of the Gurukul family. Another important chapter began in 2016, when we invited internationally acclaimed dancer Jaikishore Mosalikanti to become our visiting faculty. We have been organizing intensive annual workshops for students under Guru Mosalikanti since 2016, where students are introduced to the traditions and methods of learning that is still followed back in India. That helps them understand the art better and immensely improves their technique under the guidance of a world renowned teacher from India. Our students graduate after finishing a comprehensive curriculum and a lot of them have continued to dance later in life too as teachers/performers. The curriculum can take anywhere between 8-12 years to complete.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Fortunately it was not a very tough road. The Indian community was always deeply ingrained in culture and traditions and being so far away from their homeland, the parents were keen on their kids not losing touch with the rich culture and heritage that is India. Organizers were also very keen on presenting good artists of the diaspora, to keep the arts alive. So they were all very keen and welcoming when I reached out to the communities and once they saw the quality being presented, people flocked. With KC being a much smaller and close knit community of artists back in the early 2000’s, it was only a matter of time before I connected with local dancers and my network grew. I was selected to be a part of the Kansas Arts Commission touring roster and a teaching artist with the KCYA. Later on I was invited multiple times to conduct master classes at UMKC and KU Lawrence.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
All of the above have been talked about in the previous sections. Dance has been an integral part of my life since I was 5 years old. What sets us apart from other Indian Dance schools is, our focus has never been just instructing students. There has been a conscious effort to groom professional dancers and mount productions to give our creativity a boost. We have also always been keen on working with other area artists from diverse backgrounds. That has had Gurukul being featured by local presenters like Kauffman Centre and City in Motion, exclusively. 2025 also marked another milestone for Gurukul, where we turned presenters. Gurukul will now organize a biennial classical dance festival in KC featuring visiting artists from India.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Not really. We are guided by our visiting faculty primarily.
Pricing:
- $20/class, 60 minute duration
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gurukulacademykc.com
- Instagram: Gurukul Academy KC
- Facebook: gurukul dance company
