Chandigarh
30 August 2024
DIVYA AZAD
Tanya and Tanisha, the 14-year-old twins who have made a mark as ‘dancing prodigies’, have once again brought pride to their country with a series of impressive wins on the international dance stage. The twins represented India in a series of European competitions.
Tanya & Tanisha interacted with the media to share details of their achievements. Along with them were their parents, mother – Anamika Kashyap and father Vinod Kumar. The twins’ dance mentors Sameer Mahajan, Founder-Owner & Dance Director, Rockstar Academy and Sakshi Rauthan, MD & Choreographer, Rockstar Academy, also accompanied their pupils at the press meet. Harpreet Dubey who teaches the girls Classical dance was also present. The girls have been training since they were just 4 years old at Rockstar Academy.
Sameer informed that in a remarkable display of skill and artistry, the dancing twins won several prestigious global dance competitions held this summer over June & July 2024 in Europe. At the World Dance Championship in Budapest, Hungary, they secured first place in the Open Style category, second place in the Lyrical & Contemporary category, and the Unique Performer Award in the duet category for their innovative dance approach.
Sakshi added, earlier in the summer, Tanya and Tanisha won first prizes in both Folk Dance and Modern Contemporary at the Dancing Italy competition, and took home the Grand Prize as the top performers. Continuing their winning streak, the duo won Silver Medals in the National and Folklore categories at the Dance World Cup in Prague. At the Global Dance Open in the Netherlands, they clinched another Silver Medal in the Classical/National Dance category.
Addressing the media Tanya said, “The competition was quite tough at the European circuit as there were teams from all over the world. We won awards in different dance genres all due to the composure we maintained and our dance skills. We are thankful to our mentors Sameer sir, Sakshi ma’am and Harpreet Dubey ma’am who imbibed in us these qualities through focussed training and the practice of mindfulness.”
Tanisha said, “Looking back, we started as kids who simply learnt and performed dance. Over the period of time, we developed immense love for this art form and dedicated ourselves fully—practicing rigorously, exploring new styles, participating in reality shows, winning competitions, and creating professional dance videos. I believe all this helped us a lot at the European competitions.”
Sameer Mahajan, who runs Dance Training and Film Production Studio, Rockstar Academy, and is also an actor, performer and choreographer, said, “Watching Tanya and Tanisha evolve into world-class dancers has been incredible. Their dedication, passion, and hard work are truly inspiring. I am proud to have guided them on their journey and look forward to seeing them achieve even greater heights.”
The twins’ thanked their mother, Anamika Kashyap and father Vinod Kumar for their unwavering support. The twins’ mother Anamika said, “My message to parents is that they must wholeheartedly support their children realise their dreams. I would like to say that it is the duty of parents to help children grow in the field they have chosen. “
Sakshi Rauthan, who has won a gold medal in Seoul in the ‘Folk Lore-Solo category’ said, “It is a big achievement by the girls as they were competing against 80 countries in the European tour. They performed Kathak, Garba, and Contemporary at various events.”
Harpreet Dubey complimented the twins on their ability to learn nuances of different dance forms. She said that the girls’ grounding in classical also helped them a lot in the European dance circuit.
It is to be noted that before winning accolades in the European tour this year, the twins had performed at the Dance World Cup in Bengaluru, last year, where they won the first position. Not only this, they were also winners at the Asia Pacific Dance Congress Dubai held in June last year. What’s more, they won a gold medal at a dance competition held in Korea last year.
