“Whenever there was a big family gathering my parents would always get everyone together and I’d show off the latest routine that I’d been practising. I was only about five at the time and did it for fun, but my parents seeing how much I loved dancing, were really supportive and at 13, enrolled me in a dance school in New Dehli,. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a dancer, so at 18 I moved to London to continue my journey.”

Kashish was just finishing studying Dance and Choreography at Roehampton University when the pandemic hit. But while it meant he had to study online it didn’t affect him too much.

“Actually, back then I was feeling pretty relaxed about it all, and I wasn’t too worried. I felt blessed as I knew there were a lot of other people out there who were in a worse situation than me at the time. Still, it was hard financially as I couldn't get access to any of the Covid government support or even universal credit, as I was here on a visa. So it was stressful but there were a lot more positives from this time.”

“A big positive was, that I used to be really socially anxious and struggled meeting new people, but lockdown put everyone in the same boat, and I found it easier to socialise and connect with lots of people online, and, now a year later, I’m really excited about getting out there and meeting these people in person”

So what is Kashish looking forward to most with restrictions lifting soon!?

“Of course I can’t wait for live theatre and dance to return, but I’m most excited to see if the industry continues to build on the way it has had to adapt during lockdown.
‘It’s always had that ‘High Arts’ label - something only accessible to those who can afford and felt comfortable going to live performances. But now the message is more

‘’The arts are for everyone. Why not check it out?”

“With this whole new diverse audience that the industry has opened itself up to online, I am really excited about how that continues and grows in the post-covid world of theatre and dance."

Read more about the project, portraits and words at London-Rebooted - Portraits of London or follow on instagram  @nathanclarkephotography where the new portraits are posted first.

London Rebooted - Portrait Photography Project.

Images Copyright of London Photographer Nathan Clarke | For any image use or enquiries contact me at nathan@nathanclarkephotography.co.uk