Combo Classes and It’s Success – Hetal Joshi M
Like mentioned on website, some programs are never stand alone programs.
One of those is mixed martial arts or kalaripayattu, others are couple classes, private function packages wherein they come up with their own song to dance on and take seperate classes too, and our adults groups classes are mostly our own parents. Couples are private packages.
Those types are by packages, progressive workshops by each level, and if those are not private groups then through Grace And Grooves Corp By Hetal Nagaraj only, the students of kalari or mixed martial arts are required to take one other genre such as bharatanatyam, bollywood/cinema, drama/stagecraft, folk or simply hiphop.
The grads you all see is of these programs as well or are our own parents for their own functions who formed their own groups.
The only one we have is mommy and me program as a mother daughter class. It is one of my most successful program too!
Because it is only me, i am cautious to high intensity genres, esp the ones that are high intensity from day 1.
I love my kalari combo students. My kalari students too made me proud. I am so happy to see their dances. First ones unbeatable and got international awards in various competitions too in entire USA, Canada, London by 2019 itself.
I showcased Aahana, Samarth Setty for my own jhansi & warrier/combat series dances in kalaripayattu and contemporary subjects in 2020 just before lockdown for various competitions and I had teen contemporary fusion series on subjects of mental health which i had just completed for the show (that was cancelled for Revanta Sarabhai‘s show).
Aahana won that one in several local, regional and inter state competitions as well – online.
My 8 other shows and productions were cancelled because of entire year of lockdown.
2020 during lockdown, the teams from Darpana Academy of Performing Arts such as Revanta Sarabhai, Manojbhai & few other artists from mumbai (my own friends from other institutes in industry) could not come (to DFW or anywhere) to my programs and activities or their own USA tour and so I initiated progressive workshops.
Technically you can say, all my institutes of my own trainings and my own teachers/gurus were lined up that year, every other month for some or other activity.
This was only because i had my own students in certain levels, and all students had nothing to do anyway because of lockdown and so i announced classes with Manojbhai via my own Dhamaal Events USA By Hetal Nagaraj; and had them enrolled for next level in their kalari program.
Those were exclusive my own students and under my own directives, manojbhai took their classes as a progression to next level and only i knew what was next on their curriculam. They took about 10+2 hours of workshop with manojbhai. 2 hours of practice class.
Revanta Sarabhai refused to take online activities.
Since all of them are my own students from scratch from day 1, in 2019-2020-2021, I had Samarth Setty and Aahana in their internship years of institutional practicals which led to their internships in my other junior kalari batches post pandemic 40 hour workshops on Kalari & Combo Classes.
All graduated in 2021-2022-2023 with several awards at certain levels and that makes Aahana and Samarth Setty the only ones who graduated to high levels/advance (jumps, combat, demonstrations).
A few of my students travelled to India (often from 2016) as well during their holidays prior and post pandemic and performed there as well which brought me other awards and other PR firms from India contacted me for news 
.
that’s when media knew about me!
I have chau level 2 graduates too, exclusively my own before lockdown 2020 itself. That’s how I was able to submit for their competitions as i had their videos of performances or rehearsals ready. That’s how post pandemic in 2021, i had not 1 but 8 productions in 1 day from morning 10am to night 8pm and parallel productions outdoors.
The only pending activity for my 2019 students was their costume shoot (during lockdown) and so that was to be done. So i personally arranged their productions outdoors in batch of 4-6 for Rang Indian Folk Dance And Theater Productions, Anantha Classical Dance & Theater Production Series, Sarvaa Cinema Dance And Theater Production Series.
There was a limitation of 4-6 in 6 feet distance
Mixed martial arts and kalari was thus made a compulsory inclusion in combo classes from 2014 itself as my “shiva tandava series” where in several girls too attended the program from frisco, plano and irving. Aahana was in that batch as well and was in first batch of Grace Creations Fusion Company By Hetal Nagaraj. At that time, Aahana was elementary ballet dancer at age of 4years.
Grace Creations Fusion Company By Hetal Nagaraj attracted lot of such desi parents whose kids were into tap, jazz, ballet and hiphop!
2016 Dance of Gods was Aahana‘s first inhouse production recital program with me. Although her group performances dates back to 2013-2014 in temples, various other cultural organizations and Indianite for her batch in Frisco FM423/Stonebrair, exclusively with me. It was first for several 2nd line of Elites as well.
My Shiva Tandava series had ended in 2019 itself with creatives of “Bho Shamboo” in Anantha Classical Dance & Theater Production Series.
My own son was getting bored of girly type dances and stereo type of bharatnatyam expressions that are too girly so this brought him fun. So i included it and boys had so much fun.
They enjoyed that more than just basic bollywood.
By then, classes of Mirchi Dance Academy By Hetal Nagaraj, Nruthyakala Folk Dance Academy By Hetal Nagaraj, and Kalasri Institute Of Indian Classical Dances By Hetal Nagaraj were stable and successful 1st line of Elites (exclusively under me) as well just under my name prior to my acquisition.
My son is one of them in that 2014 batch. Then i saw that there is this whole category of boys and girls who do not like one of those basic bollywood as much as they find it too girl types.
That’s how i attracted lots of bollywood students who wanted to do these innovative by technique dances . As matter of fact, hook up step is not bollywood but people do it as part of bollywood. Simple example! #YES
You can see my first batch of kalari introduction students as young as 4 to 8 years in my own solo production wherein my exclusive students performed 2016 “Dance of Gods – Adi Shakti Series” with tiny swords. It was my solo fundraisers and ofcourse, i had invited solo artist as i usually do to perform and i had booths as it was a fundraiser for CRY America Inc. and shopping spree event.
In that fundraiser of 2016, Nirja Setty, Ashna Pethe became Elites along with Mansi, Deepthi, Sindhu and few others for Bollywood as well other than hiphop, mixed martial arts, folk and modeling that they pursued throughout the years until 2024. #YES
I had sponsors too of various level and my first official fashion show under company name, for a local and international bridal boutique. I also had raffles and several IT course sponsors other than my own, that year, as my own launch of Sarva Information Systems and its affiliates training programs. #YES
2014 batch was combo of mixed martial arts (kalari as one of them) and Bollywood, pic as below.
It was after that & around that time that hiphop was introduced in combo classes. Boys then moved to hiphop and some to kalari. Some continued in Bollywood.
Aayan, Audrey line of Pre.Elites and all were much much later in 2018-2019 at age of 4-5 years at Lewisville, Texas for Year Round Activities in Grace And Grooves Corp By Hetal Nagaraj and that includes all summer workshops as well because their parents are full time working parents so not much travels.
Among the only ones as in Elites who never took break of 1 season for anything. Just basic holidays that we announce. Thus, completed their grads in their respective programs(except Bharatanatyam) before age of 12!
It surprised me too, that they completed that early but then i looked at their attendence! Not one class missed and not one workshop ever missed, none!
You can see them as well in all my promos just as you can see Nirja Setty, Samarth Setty, Setty Siblings, Aahana, Ashna Pethe and several others. Some of my workshops in summer are thrice a week and 4 times a week min 3-4hours as well. They have attended all of those. #thatshowitsdone
My all productions are my own . As a part of invitees, i often call 1 artist to perform – usually the one that’s new in city.
And then, whoever is new choreographer, if any or one of my own grads who can take some lessons (in that year) is often called to perform something in their speciality as introduction to my students so that if they were to take classes, parents would know them.
I also have Texas All Star Talents By Hetal Nagaraj invitees that i call during my recitals and productions depends on speciality or program! These individuals usually have to pay just like any other shows.
I also call potentially interested candidates of Reachh Mediaa Since 2013 By Hetal Nagaraj to showcase their trained specialities to categorize them in levels of Pre.Elites and Elites for submissions.
Check blog entry – Dance of Gods, Adi Shakti. It has more details. Most Elites start very early in life with me most at age of 4 or 5. Some accelerate faster too such as Ashna Pethe as they come to multiple locations as and when they are free.
That’s how they become Elites that early as young as 10, 12, 13 in multiple genres, level by level and then the rest of years are bonus years of gigs and fun activities such as commercials and modeling and all the other paths towards education usage since i run non dance programs too for Texas All Star Talents By Hetal Nagaraj.
Define part time, low key. this part time and this low key.
Some Links that are relevant to this post.
Grace And Grooves by Hetal Nagaraj (hetaln.com) 