Odissi Student Recital 2021

Odissi Student Recital 2021
Saturday, December 11
at Old Maui High School, Paia, Maui

Photos of this performance

What is perseverance?
What is devotion?
My students embody them.

What is it like to be proud?
What is it like to be humbled?
I got to experience them first hand.

Once a year, I hold a dance recital to stimulate students' growth and give them a platform to share their hard work with their loved ones.

We had to miss one during 2020, and in 2021, it was still tricky to hold an in-person recital, so we decided to do a video recital instead. We shot it in December, and I just finished editing it!

Would you please join us to celebrate our journey?

My maternal grandfather was a bamboo weaving artist in Japan. He said, "Art is not necessary to sustain physical lives. During economic hardships, we need to buy food first, and artists may not earn money, but we need to keep creating and honing our skills, especially during such times because art sustains the human spirit."

I took his words to heart, and my students and I have continued to show up in person or over Zoom for our weekly classes throughout this pandemic.

I've had the honor of witnessing them shedding tears in class with all sorts of sentiments - from being frustrated with themselves to the feeling of accomplishment. No matter what, they kept showing up.

And here they are - celebrating their milestones. For my beginner students, this was their very first performance. For my pre-intermediate students, this was their first time to perform in full costume.

As it will be the case for even advanced dancers, there are techniques to be polished and room to grow, but their hearts are shining and in the right place. When I watch them dance, my eyes narrow in arches, and I can’t help but smile. I know how hard they've worked, so seeing them dance with such sincerity touches me deeply and humbles me.

Please join us in celebrating their journey.

The preview of the full video is available below.

Suggested donation: $10 per person

If you feel like donating more than $10, we humbly accept with gratitude.

If $10 is a stretch for you, please donate however much you comfortably can.

Please send your donation to one of the following options:

- PayPal @ akariueoka (www.paypal.com/paypalme/akariueoka)
- Venmo @ Akari-Ueoka (www.venmo.com/u/Akari-Ueoka)
- Zelle @ 808-280-5729
- Check made payable to "Akari Ueoka" to P.O. Box 81564, Haiku, HI 96708

Please make sure to add your name and email address in the memo section of each payment option so that I can send you the video URL.

If you do not see an email from me within 24 hours, please check your spam folder. If you still don't see it, please email me at akari@akaridance.com.