Senior Spotlight 2

Senior Profile: Saana Dharia 

by Sonia Ivancic

Saana Dharia joined Shishya when she was seven and has been an energetic, loving presence in the school ever since. She began her dance journey taking Bollywood lessons as a five year old. Witnessing her cousin’s Arangetram and her neighbors’ Bharatanatyam performances, she remembers how she realized there was so much beauty in the classical technique and so she begged her Mom for classes.

Her earliest Shishya memory is joining Beginners One midway through the year at the old Empower Fitness studio and Guru Sukanya introducing her to the class.

As she began her Shishya lessons on Saturday mornings, her biggest challenge was working with Guru Sukanya to correct her posture. According to Saana, her favorite memory is probably Carnegie Hall and all the excitement that came with that January 2020 performance. Reflecting on the isolating years when our Shishya classes were held over zoom, Saana still recalls those times fondly, saying the online lessons were still really fun and motivated her to refine her technique. Building up her skills, confidence, and stamina over years of group classes,

Saana completed the Arangetram track and performed her solo debut in October 2022. She says that her Arangetram experience was something she’ll never forget because while it was strenuous, it was also so fun dancing and feeling accomplished everyday.

Some of Saana’s favorite Shishya items are the Durghe Tillana and Saamaja, while her beautiful depiction of the Krishna Varnam during her Arangetram was definitely her most challenging dance to perform. As she looks back on her last 10 years at the school, what she loves most is our tight-knit family at Shishya. Her love of dance is stronger than ever. Saana will be attending Georgetown University to study Business and Global Affairs. Congrats Saana on all you have done in and out of dance!