The Jikaria Sisters, reigning queens of the dance video and staying true to their own styles, are it rn. Their hook is super-fun clips that incorporate many styles of dance (seriously, we’re talking everything from classical Indian movement to hip-hop), performed in super cool spaces around their hometown of New York City. They take serious inspo from the city and in a similar way that the fashion brand kate spade new york celebrates the city in each of its pieces from the iconic Sam bag to the whimsical phone cases (both of which are favorite picks from the sisters!).
And while their rise to social media fame may have started as a result of—what else?—COVID boredom, their history with dance and music began well before that. “We have a variety of dance training across Russian classical ballet, bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance), jazz, modern, contemporary, hip hop, Bollywood, and Latin styles,” Aashika, Rishika, and Omika told us. “As a group, we combine our dynamic styles to create fusion pieces.” How cool, right?
And this isn’t even their day job! Two have impressive careers in engineering, business, while middle sister Rishika is a full-time law student. We sat down with the three sisters, all wearing serious kate spade new york chicness, to talk about their lives—both professional and personal—and how dancing plays an important role on the daily. They also shared their top fashion tips, their prime kate spade new york, and some unforgettable style moments. Here’s what they said:
Let’s start with your daytime life. Describe your work setup—how do you get stuff done while sharing a WFH space?
Omika: I am mostly on my computer, ideating, and having meetings online. I like having a very dynamic work environment, with my adjustable sitting and standing desk and my meditation chair, which allows me to sit in a lot of different positions. I have a lot of sticky notes everywhere, notebooks, my vision board on the wall next to me, a desk lamp, and a plant. I am always listening to music.
Rishika: I’m a third year law student. I spend a ton of time studying. I have two or three large law textbooks at my desk, and my personal computer to take notes. I keep a notebook, calendar, pen, highlighters, and a large water bottle at my workstation. When I need a break, I take my dog out for a walk, listen to a podcast, or do some leisurely reading.
Aashika: I work with lots of facility blueprints and equipment sketches. I spend my entire WFH day at my adjustable desk, working on my computer—I have two monitors to help see all the tabs I have open. Seventy-five percent of the day is filled with group and one-on-one calls, and the rest is spent catching up on individual work.
Now let’s talk style: What’s your WFH go-to look? What do you like to wear when dancing?
Omika: Through my performance style, I express my boldness, while my WFH style is focused on functionality and slightly more conservative. In both, I like adding pops of color and patterns to celebrate my personality.
Rishika: My performance style is colorful, funky, and bold! When I WFH, I am more focused on comfort.
Aashika: Although my WFH and dance performance styles are different at first glance, there are a lot of similarities between the colors and cuts. I choose bold color palettes for both situations. I would probably never wear a blazer or work sweater when dancing, but there is definitely lots of overlap in the comfy pants, whether it’s sweatpants or long, chic flowy ones.
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When choosing a look from kate spade new york, what calls to you?
Omika: I love all the floral and block prints, and I am obsessed with the green color in this collection. Everything makes me feel confident and fresh. The pieces I chose were an extension of my personal style and also a chance to experiment with new prints and cuts.
Rishika: I love the chic, classy pieces with accents of gold and pearl.
Aashika: I look for the bold statement pieces that really scream “girl boss!” Anything with pants, a blazer or coat, and a pair of heels is totally my vibe.
Do you have any fashion memories in which kate spade new york items are the protagonist?
Omika: Yes! I have used kate spade new york phone cases for as long as I can remember. The dress for the rooftop scene in our video for this project even resembles one of my phone cases.
Rishika: The first phone case I bought for myself was a gold one from kate spade new york. It had a card holder (which I used for my college ID) and looked so chic.
Aashika: I love kate spade new york bags! Before heading to college, my mom gifted me a bright hot pink kate spade new york crossbody, and it was my go-to bag throughout college. It really gave “main-character energy.”
Do you have any hobbies outside of dance that help you unwind?
Omika: I am a yoga-, meditation-, and reiki-energy-healing practitioner. I guide myself and others through spiritual and personal growth endeavors. I spend most of my free time in this space—practicing, reading, writing, listening to podcasts, connecting with others with similar interests in spirituality and human development. I also love cooking plant-based meals, working out (cycling, Pilates, barre are a few of my faves), traveling, and being outdoors.
Rishika: Reading! I love reading all types of books. I’m also super into fashion and makeup, and enjoy trying different makeup looks and styling my outfits in different ways. Fitness is another passion. I work out five times a week and do a combination of HIIT and Pilates or barre. I’m also into current events and like staying up-to-date on the news.
Aashika: I’m a puzzle girl. I love tackling various 3D combination puzzles, crossword puzzles, you name it. I also have the travel bug and love exploring different parts of the world. In downtime, I read autobiographies of influential people in the media and listen to podcasts.
OK, onto dance: Can you describe your backgrounds?
Omika: I have a background in a huge variety of styles, including ballet, bharatanatyam (classical Indian dance), modern/jazz, Latin (salsa, bachata) kizomba (an African dance), cheerleading, Bollywood and Zumba. Whew!
Rishika: Same here—I also have learned ballet, bharatanatyam, modern, jazz, cheer, and Bollywood, as well as garba, rass (both festive dance styles that originated in Gujarat, India), bhangra (a traditional harvest-season dance from Punjab), and ballroom.
Aashika: I started with a lot of similar ones—ballet and modern, hip-hop, contemporary jazz, pom/cheerleading, bharatanatyam, Bollywood—as well as tap and musical theater. They all come together in influencing how we dance together and are able to be on the same page when we’re recording videos.
So cool. If you had to pick, what’s your best memory about dancing?
Omika: My favorite memory about dance was when we taught our first in-person dance workshop after the COVID-19 pandemic. The energy and spirit in the room were unmatched. After we started posting dance videos on social media in March of 2020, we amassed a following of dancers across the world—watching our community come together in-person was a testament to the power of social media and the dance community.
Rishika: Our dance platform has given us the opportunity to partner and collaborate with a plethora of brands, including designers and social-justice organizations. In 2021, we worked with a voting-rights organization to help spread the word about the upcoming election cycle. Having formerly worked on political campaigns, I was thrilled to combine my passion for advocacy with dance. Through this work, we were invited to Washington to celebrate Diwali in fall of 2022 alongside industry leaders and other influential South Asians. My favorite part about dance is building community and creating long-standing, meaningful relationships with folks in our community.
Aashika: My favorite memories of dance have always centered around the idea of performing in front of people. In 2021, my sisters and I were invited to perform at the official Times Square Diwali celebration. It was an incredible experience to be in NYC, surrounded by the bright city lights to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights. There were tens of thousands of spectators watching and passing by. Hands-down it is one of the best, most unique dance memories I have!
All in all, what does dance mean to you—how does it fit into the overall picture of your life?
Omika: Dance is my creative outlet, my favorite form of expression, and my connection to our culture. Through dance, I express that which we cannot express through words alone. Since I was young, dance has been my bridge to the world—I have explored various cultures and learned about my own identities through dance.
Rishika: For me, dance is a celebration of the human body and its ability to communicate in a unique, beautiful way through movement. l dance to connect with my Indian-American identity, share stories, and release stress.
Aashika: Dance is an energy I need in my life. It is the way I gain energy from the universe and share my light into the world. Dance is my form of flying.
