Samyukta, a freshman at Amador Valley High School, has been immersed in Bharatanatyam since the age of four. Introduced to the art form through her mother, Smt. Lakshmi Karthik, she grew up watching performances that captivated her with their rhythm and expression. She enjoyed watching the different components of dance like abhinaya and nritta. This inspired her to begin training for the first six years under her first guru, her mother, Smt. Lakshmi Karthik. As time went on, she transitioned her training under Smt. Nityalakshmi Iyer, at the RagaMudra School of Music and Dance.

Intially, Samyukta often felt self-conscious on stage, holding back her expression as she worried about how others might perceive her. With time and experience, she learned to let go of these thoughts, allowing her movements to become more confident, expressive, and grounded in trust of her training. This shaped her resilience and self-belief.

With her talent and dedication, she has performed at various cultural events and competitions across the Bay Area, finding joy in storytelling through movement. Her mother and guru have been her two huge pillars of support throughout her journey.

Her Arangetram marks the culmination of years of dedication, grace, and a deep respect for tradition.

Beyond Dance

Beyond dance, Samyukta is the co-president of the Indian Classical Dance Club and Team, Amador Valley Laasya. Through this club she hopes to spread awareness about Indian Classical Dance and inspire others to start their own journey. She also has a deep love for French which she shows by tutoring middle school students after school. She has also been playing competitive badminton for the past three years.