When we begin our conversation, he immediately makes it a point to keep the conversation as casual and comfortable as possible. That, at the very outset, tells me that Ankit Sati is an individual who is more about people than anything else. As he talks about his journey so far, there is almost always a slight chuckle as he finishes his sentences. You see, Sati can initially come off as a person who just has this aura of being friendly and laid back. However, as he talks more, I realise that there are layers to this man. And dance, perhaps, is amongst the most prominent one of them.
Raised in Delhi, Sati states that dance was, initially, just a hobby. Growing up, he remembers the numerous shows on television and, perhaps, it was that certain allure of watching people match their steps to a single beat that drew him to the art form of dance. When he finished his secondary education, he pursued dance, not professionally, but just as something that he was passionate about. Some time later, unfortunately, Sati’s father passed away. At that point in time, he was faced with the idea of having to contribute, in some way, to his family’s financial needs. Tearing himself away from what he loved, he started working in sales. It was only when a teacher, at the institute he learnt dance in, offered him a teaching position that he saw an opportunity to be reacquainted with something that he loved doing. Even so, that period of time was an incredibly difficult time for him. He would have to not only manage his own passion for dance and earn a living from it but also work towards helping his family recover from the financial distress that they were in at the time.
Sati has been a part of many different collaborative projects. When talking where his initial interests lay, in the context of dance, Sati reveals that he was drawn to contemporary and jazz dance forms. Being part of a collaborative body and larger projects is always engaging, however, in the conversation, Sati talks about where he puts his focus on. To him, creating and conceptualizing his own choreographed sets and routines has always been a major draw for him. Having creative control over where he can take a certain set or routine is something that not only is more aligned with his artistic goals but also allows him to experiment with what he has learned so far.
Sure, his time working with others and participating in previous competitions are important. However, what is most important to realise is that he sees those as building blocks to his journey. There is so much scope to what he can do with dance as an art form and as a commercial venture. He understands this on a more personal level and wishes to create a body of work, his current work notwithstanding, that is aimed not only at fulfilling his own creative agency but also in providing a sense of entertainment for the audience.
On the topic of providing a sense of entertainment to his audience, Sati speaks about where he sees himself in the future. Pleasantly surprising me, Sati reveals that he is a trained actor. Something that has always drawn him is the idea of broadway musical productions, where the performers sing, dance and act on their own. There is no concept of separate performers in that space of creativity. That is something that he wants to explore but in a manner that makes it more accessible to a more general audience. In his words, I sense an individual who is constantly looking to do more, not just in terms of the just one form he is a part of but also in other creative fields that he is willing to learn.
When I ask him about acting, he reveals that he has always been a Bollywood kid. Although, he is not particularly sure about acting, but if given a great opportunity, he would love to try it. A professional dancer and a trained actor, he is also in the process of becoming a rapper, singer and music producer. He aspires to present himself as a complete performer. But despite all his gifts, he currently focuses on dancing and wishes to perform on his own songs and create content with artistic freedom.
Perhaps, I assume too much. However, Sati’s journey has, in a way, moulded him into an individual who is consistently pushing forward. That is not to say that he does not care for his previous accomplishments. That is far from the truth. In point of fact, when he talks about some of the hardships that he and his family had to face, after his father’s demise, he states that he is incredibly grateful to be where he is at. Looking back at how far he has come, he realises that, while there is always more that could be done, his present achievements and body of work is something that has taken a lot of work and consistent effort to bring into being.
And, it is exactly that thought that he would want to leave you with. A sense of honest reflection in all the efforts and the work that you put in. Hard work and perseverance are important, of course. However, he stresses on the importance of being smart in your efforts. Branching from that same train of thought, he explains how it is important to realise the importance of your audience in determining the success of your work. There is this idea of disregarding what others say about you, and while that may seem to be something that is beneficial to do, it is also equally to take into context what the general perception of the world around you is like. All of this comes from his own experiences. And, you can be absolutely sure, that Ankit Sati, regardless of how far he has come, will never disregard the lessons that his experiences have taught him.
