A bright smile, jazzy dancing feet. A twirling golden dress, curly brown hair in a cozy black scarf. A lit-up stage, further illuminated by the joyful spirits and lively singing of upper school show choir Downbeat students, and in the front, Anoushka Khatri (12), dazzling the crowd.

Anoushka performed at Big Assembly Day (BAD) on Dec. 9 with the Downbeat choir, her dazzling smile brilliant on stage for her third year with the choir. Performing arts has followed Anoushka for nearly her whole life; she started Indian classical music, the violin and Harker Performing Arts in first grade, with her journey from lower school orchestra and choir to middle school Concert Choir, and finally, the upper school orchestra and Downbeat.

In middle school, performing arts originally helped Anoushka develop her confidence and come out of her shell as she learned how to perform on stage. As Anoushka worked through meetings and rehearsals, run-throughs and vocal practice, she began appreciating the end result of month-long rehearsals, final performances and her growth as a musician and performer.

“For me, a lot of it is the end result, being able to step out on the stage and do a performance and be like, ‘Yeah, I worked for six months, and I did that,’” Anoushka said. “Also the process is really satisfying to me, being able to work with the people I’m close to, performing, which I really love doing, and being able to grow as a musician over the years.”

Working closely with groups like Downbeat, which Anoushka joined her sophomore year, has brought her into the community of performing arts, a community of like-minded, music-oriented individuals who adore performing. In this group, Anoushka has found inspiration in the talented musicians she learned from, bonded with group members before performances and acted as a role model for younger students as the community grew tighter around her.

“The community within Downbeat, and even within orchestra, we’re also close because we’re really bonded by that love for performing and that love for music,” Anoushka said. “Especially in Downbeat, since it’s an audition-only group, everyone that’s there really wants to be there, and they’ve all worked hard to get there, so I think it’s really nice.”

Especially as the only current third-year member in Downbeat, Anoushka has been able to share advice and her experiences performing pre-pandemic with other students. Upper school choral teacher Jennifer Sandusky, who first taught Anoushka her freshman year in Bel Canto, often relies on her as a leader in her class, both with musicianship skills and with her positive mindset.

“[Anoushka’s] leadership skills are really, really strong,” Sandusky said. “Anoushka is a person who leads by example, so she doesn’t always say a ton, but by the things that she does, and then when the times that she does speak up, she’s super organized, and she handles a lot of details for us for the group that really stands out. She keeps working really hard. It’s a relaxed, positive focus that she has.”

Music has also always allowed Anoushka to channel her emotions through comforting notes and melodies. After a bad day, she knows she can always go to her choir or orchestra and leave her emotions behind, even if just for an hour. Over the years, performing arts taught Anoushka confidence, leadership, the importance of community and work ethic, a skill she acquired through her economics research as well.

This past summer, Anoushka researched the impact of immigration on Brazil economically, and the effects on literacy rates, income and other factors. She worked with an assistant professor through the long process of perseverance and hard work, ultimately ending with the pride of a finalized project and paper in front of her.

“I was able to learn a lot about work ethic, and really to keep trying, because there were a lot of times where I would find something like, ‘This looks like it could be it,’ and then once I put it in Google Translate, it was completely wrong … so I definitely learned a lot about hard work,” Anoushka said. “My favorite part was once I had all my results, being able to say that, ‘Yeah, I found those results, and I did the math, and that’s my paper.’”

Not only has Anoushka’s perseverance shone through in her research and in Downbeat, Anoushka brings that same determination to her everyday life as well, whether in conversation with classmates or baking with friends. Kavita Murthy (12), a close friend of Anoushka who has known her since kindergarten, first grew close with her when playing the violin together in lower school and stuck with her since due to her positive attitude, dedication and compassion.

“She’s someone who’s super easy going [and] can always make you laugh,” Kavita said. “Somehow hanging out with her alleviates all the stress and you forget, which is rare to find a person who can completely take your mind off of everything that’s happening and help you focus in on the moment and enjoy the time that you spend together.”

For Anoushka, in most situations, it’s just easier to have a positive mindset, to feel better about what she’s doing. She aims to keep an optimistic outlook and not become burdened down by pessimistic thoughts.

“It makes life so much easier if you can stay positive and not weigh yourself down with unnecessary expectations,” Anoushka said. “If you’re negative, you’re not going to move forward at all. But if you’re positive, it can help not only you, but it can help others.”

Anoushka’s bright smiles and energetic twirls as a performer reflect the positivity and enthusiasm she brings to the stage and to her life. Especially as a musician, she continues to grow from the community of others and hopes to leave a lasting impact on those who she’s worked with, an impact of perseverance and growth and cheer.

“I want to leave an impact where I can show that … it’s okay to make mistakes,” Anoushka said. “It’s okay to stumble as long as you pick yourself back up and learn from what you’ve done, and it’s possible to continue growing as a musician no matter what. I think that’s important.”