Norcross's Own Kruti Dance Academy an International Success

You may have seen Kruti Dance Academy on “America’s Got Talent.” You may not have known that the colorful and poised troupe calls Norcross home. 

“Kruti Dance could now compete with the River Dance,” Sharon Osbourne said on the show.

Kruti is an Indian dance school located in the Global Mall that uses dance to introduce people to the rich cultural heritage of India. They offer a range of classes from "Indian Classical" to "Folk" to one the hottest dance crazes right now, "Bollywood."

The school also actively performs and competes. They’ve been on several renowned stages in Atlanta, like The Fox Theater and Atlanta Symphony Hall. Just two weeks ago, they made it to ninth place on "Chak Dhoom Dhoom," a dance reality show aired in India, beating 5,000 teams.

In 2010, they auditioned for "America’s Got Talent" and made it to the top 48 out of 100,000 acts. Kruti went all the way to the quarterfinals and got called back to perform on the "Wild Card Live Show," a special invitation-only round where contestants compete for an opportunity to go straight into the top 10.

“We heard that they were coming to Atlanta and so I just went online and filled out a form,” said dance instructor and troupe leader Shemoni Parekh. “And that was what started everything.”

Parekh received the exciting call about the "Wild Card Live Show," the week of August 9, the same week of her wedding festivities. The very next week she was performing on national TV with her dance troupe. They were introduced as Piers Morgan’s favorite act and were also one of the few acts that did not receive an X from the judges.

This wasn’t Parekh’s first brush with reality television. She was also involved with “So You Think You Can Dance: Canada.” But instead of being a contestant, she worked for the show as assistant choreographer to Longinus Fernandes, the choreographer of the Oscar-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire."  Together they produced an opening Bollywood number for the 18 remaining contestants.

Parekh started dancing when she was just two years old. And no wonder, she is the daughter of the founder and director of Kruti Dance Academy, Dina Sheth.

The school had humble beginnings. Sheth started Kruti Dance Academy in her basement in 1995 before moving to the Global Mall, where they've practiced for the past six years.  

Sheth was a microbiologist by trade before she had children. “She pursued dance in India but more so as a passion. She got a degree in it,” said Parekh. “And then when she came to this country she noticed the opportunity of (teaching dance) from my brother and I, and then as she got more into it noticed it was a great way for anybody in this country to become more acquainted with the Indian culture.”   

Every year in the spring, Kruti Dance Academy has a showcase performance of the year’s accomplishments. They want these performances to empower students and let them feel a taste of stardom. This year’s show will be on May 22 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center at 1 p.m. Ticket information will be posted on Kruti’s website as the date gets closer.

All of Kruti Dance Academy’s classes run in sessions. “We run very similar to the school schedule,” explained Parekh. Spring session starts in January and runs until the end of May and fall session begins in August and runs until the holidays. Students can start anytime after a session has begun, but Parekh said, “As we get closer to the spring recital it’s a little harder because it’s a little closer to when we actually perform.”

An all-ages summer camp is offered for one week in July. Class runs all day and students learn a different Bollywood dance each day. They will also be given the opportunity to dress up in colorful Indian outfits.