Artiste Focus 2017
Alka Rao
Director
Alka is a Human Resources Professional. She is also an accomplished and certified Toastmaster. She has a background in theater and loves performance art of all kinds. Her past life repertoire includes being an actress for TV shows and a TV anchor person for Udaya TV and Bangalore Doordarshan. Today she is an integral part of Ahaana and is thrilled to be directing Artiste Focus yet again this year. She feels curating new and talented artists for the show is the closest one can come to curating art itself.
Her favorite philosophy in life is "Carpe diem; for we know not what tomorrow will bring".
Anu Gujral
Artist
Anu is an artist / designer with 20+ year's experience in fine art, graphic design, visual design, and teaching children art. Design projects include Disney, Warner Bros, San Diego Zoo, Cartoon network, Sesame St, Bloomingdales, and Grand Central Station at NYC. She loves to do and enjoys the most is inspiring and teaching art to little kids. Looking for educational art classes or teaching art as an after school program for your boys and girls? Call her! She is currently the main Art Teacher running Summer camps at the Carmel Valley Rec Center.
Kavita Kamesh
Singer
She's a trained Carnatic music vocalist, and was one of the leading singers for Penn Sargam, a South Asian fusion at UPenn. Kavita's favorite genres range from Classical, Sufi, Ghazals, to Bollywood and fusion music. She has her own music band called "Vocal Tadka" and true to its name and essence its like making music more interesting by blending and improvising from various styles to create composite effects. Today she performs at various events.
Srividya Santharam
Kuchipudi Dancer
Srividya has been learning Kuchipudi classical dance since she was five under Padmashree Dr. Sobha Naidu. She has performed as a solo performer and group dance dramas. She served as President for Ragamalika, a classical music and dance club which nurtures and promotes Indian fine arts. She gained experience in training at Kuchipudi Art Academy in Hyderabad, now in San Diego. Sheintends to carry on the tradition of teaching Kuchipudi, the lovely classical dance form to many young aspiring entrants.
"The Swaggers" is a dance group formed by Preeti Sharma and like minded, passionate dancers. They perform Bollywood, freestyle Punjabi, western and fusion dance styles. They are all tech professionals by day and dancers by heart. Totally new and totally fresh! Come, join us and see what they have to offer. - Preeti Sharma
Link: https://www.facebook.com/dancerssandiego/
Preeti Sharma &
The Swaggers
Bollywood and Fusion Dancers
Vishaka Kavle Koka
Photographer
Vishaka is a passionate photographer and the owner of Vishaka Kavle Photography. She has been a visual designer and over the years has developed an acute eye for capturing images. She truly believes that there isn't any moment that a camera cannot capture. For her capturing special and beautiful moments is always magical. Her services today includes portrait photography, wedding events, maternity shoots, newborn pictures, and various private and corporate event photography.