The Kathak Podcast : Kathak Ka Chakkar

Episode Notes Gauri Sharma Tripathi (@gaurisharmatripathi) on Instagram Gauri Sharma Tripathi has trained in the classical tradition of Kathak, under the guidance of her Guru and mother, Padma Sharma. She is the Artistic Director of her companies Amara Nritya Kala Hansa & ANKH Dance UK. The repertory of ANKH continues to bridge the teaching and choreographic journeys between the traditions and the new. A Nritya Visharad and a Singar Mani Awardee, Gauri wrote the three-year degree course on Kathak for London Contemporary Dance School, she was also part of the ISTD South Asian dance founding team, faculty, and examiner. She has curated The Alchemy Festival at the Southbank Centre for nine years and is associated with The Women of the World festival. Her curatorial work includes The Indian Dance Festival at the Korzo Theatre in The Hague, Netherlands. Through her varied work, she has brought a strong South Asian presence to the UK arts scene. (0:01:27) Bio and Background (0:02:28) Start of Conversation (0:03:35) Starting from Screatch (0:05:55) Documenting Choreographies (0:08:13) How memories shape dance (0:10:38) Referring back to previous choreographies (0:13:28) How dance is intoxicating (0:15:54) Being trained as a soloist (0:20:27) Teaching students to be part of group choreographies (0:24:00) how do you teach differently than how you were taught (0:31:15) Enabling students to explore and grow (0:34:10) The spine of kathak (0:35:57) Residency at the Southbank Center (0:38:31) The Alchemy Festival (0:40:39) Creating an environment of collaboration (0:44:22) The versatility of Kathak (0:46:43) What does support mean for artists (0:50:13) Documenting her mother's work (Padma Sharma ji ) (0:56:00) Transition from UK to India Find out more at https://the-kathak-podcast.pinecast.co

Episode Notes Niraj Chag is a London-based musical artist and composer. His musical style mixes Indian classical influences with contemporary stylings and layered, complex beats The Kathak EP | Niraj Chag (bandcamp.com) Niraj Chag | Composer And Musician Show Highlights (0:03:07) Kanya: The begining of Kathak Compositions for Niraj (0:05:21) How does the collaboration happen between a composer and an artist: Kanya (0:06:27) The interplay of bols and music (0:07:01) How watching Kathak influences Niraj's music (0:08:28) How colors influence music (0:11:21) How colors are related to mood (0:12:15) Inputs needed to start working on music (0:14:41) Playing instruments vs Hiring session musicians (0:18:07) On the topic of artists using his work (0:22:00) Making The Kathak EP (0:25:24) Learning from other artists (0:27:03) Handling conflicts during collaboration (0:29:46) Learning by not always getting what you want (0:32:00) Bridging communication gaps as a producer (0:35:01) Getting into a workflow (0:36:10) Kathak Subsonic (0:39:35) The unpredictability of which songs get popular (0:42:34) Artistic freedom to make choices (0:45:25) Using AI Tools (0:46:35) Use of technology of music vs dance (0:51:21) Teaching and mentoring (0:57:01) How much Kathak should a composer need to watch before starting to make music for it? Find out more at https://the-kathak-podcast.pinecast.co

New York Kathak Festival New York Kathak Festival The New York Kathak Festival is a nonprofit organization that presents and promotes dancers, scholars, and practitioners of Kathak, a classical dance tracing its origins to India. We produce a festival bringing together established and emerging artists from across the United States and beyond. The Kathak Festival is produced by the American Kathak community, inspiring creative exchange between local Kathak artists and diverse New York audiences. The festival is run by a volunteer team of young professionals who live and work in the New York metropolitan area. The Kathak Festival is our passion above and beyond our professional careers in industries ranging from fashion, technology, finance, fitness, education, journalism, design, and medicine—and we take it as our responsibility to set a strong foundation for this rich classical tradition to thrive in NYC. Show Highlights (0:00:00) Podcast Intro (0:03:13) What is The New York Kathak Festival? (0:04:44) Kathak Background and connection of the NYKF team (0:09:50) Evolution of the festival from 2019-2023 (0:11:49) How does being in New York help the Kathak Festival (0:15:37) About the NYKF Team (0:17:40) The importance of having a clear ask : Fundraising (0:18:35) Donating to NYKF (0:20:11) Having a fair and unbiased artist selection process (0:24:12) Being immersed in Kathak for a weekend (0:26:18) Dedicating time to Kathak (0:27:27) Logistics and festival details (0:29:54) Pop Up Concerts (0:34:03) Curating Festivals with the audience in mind (0:36:17) On the topic of educating audiences (0:38:23) The beauty in being able to enjoy an art form without context (0:40:05) Future plans (0:41:52) The importance of artists to the festival Find out more at https://the-kathak-podcast.pinecast.co

Episode Notes Website Khalil Alashar (@kalashar91) • Instagram photos and videos A dancer par excellence budding from the little island in the Persian Gulf called Bahrain, Khalil Alashar has been able to grasp the authenticity and professionalism in Kathak in a very short span.  His talent and dedication made him excel in his passion allocating him performances and workshops internationally. (0:02:10) Assumptions made by others (0:06:51) Learning (0:18:16) Making your own stage props (0:20:59) Masters in Kathak (0:36:53) Inviting other artists for workshops/performances (0:45:03) Bahraini Audiences (0:49:01) Incorporating stories from Bahrain in Kathak (0:51:27) Being the torchbearer of Kathak in Bahrain (0:56:39) What is your WHY Find out more at https://the-kathak-podcast.pinecast.co

https://www.instagram.com/theyouthkathakfestival/ Bio Sreeja Chakraborty is an Artist from Mumbai. She has done her undergraduation from Christ University, Bangalore in BA Triple Majors in Performing Arts, English and Psychology. She specialises in Contemporary and Kathak. She has taken kathak training from her mother, Guru Madhumita Chakraborty, and is currently the performance curator at Banichhanda Dance Academy Mumbai. Sreeja is also a mental health Facilitator, associated with Project Mumbai and BMC and works on mental health programs with underprivileged children in over 20 schools of Mumbai. Sreeja has been the winner of Mumbai's got talent and various other dance events. She is the founder and director of The Youth Kathak Festival, 2023 which is going to launch in January which is India's first one-of-a-kind Youth led classical dance event happening in Bandra on 28 and 29th of January. Gaurvi Jain originated from the city of lakes Udaipur who set her course in the field of performing arts having learned various artforms like Hindustani classical music, kathak, Bharatnatyam, sitar, Hawaiian guitar etc. having done her BA in Performing arts, english and psychology from Christ University Bangalore, she recently finished a course in Creative Fashion styling from NIFT Mumbai. she is the first member to join The youth kathak festival as an executive producer. Show Highlights (0:02:11) An Introduction to The Youth Kathak Festival (0:04:00) What's different about it (0:08:03) Sreeja and Gaurvi's favorite festivals and themes (0:12:20) Will audiences dance with the performer in a Kathak Festival? (0:14:34) What kind of artists are you looking to bring on? (0:20:16) Details on the festival and events: 28th and 29th January (0:31:41) Behind the scenes: TYKF Team (0:47:52) Running a safe festival for the audience (0:51:05) What is the one thing you're looking forward to?

Episode Notes (0:02:33) Studying Screen Acting and Film Marking at FTII (0:05:09) How does Kathak Show up in your life (0:06:57) Dealing with preconceived notions of Kathak (0:13:02) Learning Odissi vs learning Kathak (0:18:18) Unlearning and relearning when learning new art forms (0:21:52) Managing your time (0:25:36) The advantages of being a trained dancer in the realm of acting (0:33:12) The Making of "Deep Jale" (0:38:17) Sticking to your art through teenage years

Episode Notes Astha is an actress in Telugu films, Chandrahas and Pellaina Kothalo and a worldwide recognized dancer for her talent in Kathak dancing. She exhibits her passion for Sufi dancing in Kathak at various festivals like Jahan-e-Khusrau where she performed first in 2013 and then subsequent years after. She has performed at the National Center for Performing Arts, Beijing as well as the Royal Opera House in Oman and Kuwait, and the world famous Baalbeck festival in Lebanon and festivals promoting culture through the Ministry of India. She is also a choreographer of many musicals and ballets theme-based in the Mughal times where she is the lead dancer. She has studied Kathak from her Gurus, Harish Gangani and Malti Shyam in New Delhi, India. She is a computer engineer from UCLA and left a promising corporate career to pursue her passion for dance and acting. She has penned her Memoirs in her new book, Door to Heaven, which is running for best-seller status. The book has already got noticed in the non-fiction category and has received high-flying reviews from book-readers and book-reader's clubs. Book is available on Zorba Books: - Amazon: - Flipkart: - She is a TEDx Speaker having had the honor of performing a dance routine along with her speech in at TEDx Conf in Gujarat. She was voted Best Dancer and Choreographer by the The Variety Club. She has received accolades for her classical dancing style such as Nritya Utsav given to her by the organizers of festivals. She is currently active in teaching and choreographing group dances in Orlando. She is excited to lead the future generations into their awareness of dance and culture of India so they can expand their talents through her website www.asthadance.com . Follow the exciting events and projects that Astha is currently working on at:

Episode Notes • Ishwari Kulkarni, a Kathak Artist from Mumbai is a versatile dancer with enigmatic stage presence. • She pursued her Master's Degree in Performing Arts - Kathak under the able guidance of the renowned Guru. Smt . Shama Bhateji from Bharati Vidyapeeth , Pune • Ishwari has been associated with the Nadroop Dance troupe and has travelled and performed in several dance festivals like Madame Menaka choreography movement -Indradhanush Festival -Art of Silence -Anubhandh 2020 -Anubhooti 2021 to name a few • She has been bestowed with the ‘ Student Excellency Award' by Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalay, Vashi • Ishwari has also been actively associated with theatre with her performances in ‘Savai' , ‘Uttunga' and INT ( Indian National Theatre) • She is currently working as an Instructor at Sumeet Nagdev Dance Arts and Blitzz Dance Academy, Anand Wishwa Gurukul, Mumbai • Her recent work counts to her performance at Mumbai International Film Festival and her workshop conducted by Yuvak Biradari Bharat and Times Awards 2022 Economic Times Award 2022 and her recent performance on the platform of "THE STAGE " and few other solo performances to her credit. Youtube Link - https://youtu.be/s51FFX-lQxY

Episode Highlights https://lajjasambhavnath.wixsite.com/kathak https://www.instagram.com/lajjasambhavnatht/ (0:02:18) Start of the conversation (0:04:38) Briding Sensitivity of the art with the sensibility of the audience (0:14:52) Working with Portugese Texts and adapting them to Kathak (0:18:30) The importance of absorbing other art forms for a dancer (0:21:05) Tips on preventing analysis paralysis, overthinking (0:25:20) Being intentional with your costume (0:27:16) The arts scene in Portugal (0:29:09) Dança Tradicional vs Dança clássica (0:31:08) Being "The Only" in a room of others (0:33:26) Tips on assimilating into a new culture (0:37:40) Teaching Portugese students how to prounce Kathak Bols (0:42:53) A song from a distant land: Uma Canção de país Longínquo (0:44:27) Working with an Indonesian Ensemble: Gamelan (0:51:53) What drives Lajja to take on difficult challenges ​Trained under the visionary Padmabhushan Kumudini Lakhia who in the early phase of her thought process almost obligated her to learn under her tutelage. A visionary at core she taught me to build the bridge between life and art and to appreciate the dignity of human body as a dancer. Lajja´s UGC awarded Research Fellowship titled “Contemporary Sensibilities vis a vis the heritage of Kathak”, was completed under Padmabhushan Kumudini Lakhia. A post graduate gold medallist in Performing Arts –Kathak from MS University she has a strong training in Jaipur Gharana under Late Pt Sunderlal Gangani, Pt Harish Gangani and Pt Jagdish Gangani She has choreographed solos and productions with her group of dancers along with various fusion projects with international artists from various disciplines, like amalgamating Kathak with Indonesian Gamelan. Her choreography of Kathak to composer Cesar Viana´s “Café Oriente” was very well received. Her production “Uma Canção de país Longínquo” wherein she choreographed Kathak to Portuguese literature from celebrated Portuguese poets Fernando Pessoa and Luis de Camões was received with much critical acclaim. Her academic studies have flourished delivering lectures as a visiting faculty at various academic institutions and are complimented with paper readings at the World Forum,Den Hague, SIEF Congress, Lisbon,Portugal etc. Further, she holds a graduate degree from the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, in Clothing and Textiles specializing in Indian Handlooms. Based in Lisbon, Portugal and Ahmedabad, India; she divides her time to further her art though her work. Intro Audio Credit: Bansure Raga | Doug Maxwell

Episode Notes (0:02:33) Teaching in Toronto (0:04:33) When her students don't practice (0:05:51) Managing expectations of students and parents (0:09:11) Developing patience for new teachers (0:12:54) How do you teach differently in Canada (0:15:27) Preparations done before class (0:22:52) Kathak background and training (0:32:27) Writing and securing Grants: The process (0:34:32) Keeping things simple (0:37:10) Building confidence in yourselfd (0:40:49) Taking and processing advice (0:42:42) Evolution as a Kathak practioner (0:47:04) Kathak outreach (0:50:17) Tips for Kathakas moving to a new country Now based in Toronto, Sukriti Sharma first started studying in Delhi, India with Guru Ashok Chakraborty and continued her training with Guru Krishan Mohan Mishra – the elder son of the renowned late Pandit Shambhu Maharaj – until 2010. During her decade-long study of Kathak, she was awarded a Post Diploma from India's premier institute Kathak Kendra, located in New Delhi, India. To further deepen her knowledge, Sukriti has attended a variety of workshops and explored different facets of the form with masters such as Shama Bhate, Pandit Birju Maharaj and Madhu Natraj Kiran. However, the best way for Sukriti to continue her practice has been to teach others. Sukriti started teaching Kathak in India, and continues to share her passion for Kathak with students in Canada since 2017. As far as her professional career goes, Sukriti has been a part of Asavari, Padmashree Shovana Narayan's repertoire company for 4 years. She has also performed in a range of arts and culture festivals including Kathak Mahotsav in (Delhi, 2011), Surya Festival (Kerala, 2012), Konark Festival (Konark, 2013), Aroha Fest (Ottawa; 2019) and Angikam (Toronto, 2021). Sukriti also worked with well-known Canadian dance artist Deepti Gupta in her production “Self Portraits with Amrita.” Currently, she's being mentored by famous Kathak exponent Nahid Siddiqui, as part of a Choreographic Residency Program offered by Sampradaya Dance Creations.

Creating Intelligent Dancers: Saberi Misra Saberi Misra is a kathak dancer based in London and was born in Kolkata into a family of traditional musicians and dancers of the Jaipur Gharana; she is the great Granddaughter of Pt Jailal Maharaj ji, the Granddaughter of Pt Ramgopal Misra and Smt Guru Susmita Misra and daughter of Pandit Rajkumar Misra, a renowned tabla player and Smt Chandrima Misra an established and acclaimed Hindustani Vocalist. Saberi has done her schooling in one of the most elite schools in London, St James Senior girls' school. Growing up amidst an atmosphere of dance and music Saberi was naturally pulled towards them from a very early age, like a moth to a flame. She started her dance training at the age of three under the able and distinguished guidance of her grandmother, Smt Guru Susmita Misra, a celebrated Kathak Guru. She gave her first stage performance at the age of four, in Kolkata and received a standing ovation. In London, her first performance came at the age of six at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, where she also received a standing ovation in the presence of the High Commissioner of India at the time. Besides dance, Saberi is also receiving laya taalim through learning tabla from her father and vocal training from her mother respectively. Saberi has also given solo performances as a tabla player and a singer. She has already established herself as a fine Kathak dancer.Episode Notes Show Highlights (0:03:37) Learning from Saberi's Grandmother: Guru Susmita Misra (0:06:03) Retention for dance: The relevance of writing things down (0:09:05) When should Kathak students start to learn Tabla/Vocals? (0:13:57) The mindset of a dancer improvising on Stage (0:17:45) How accompanying a dancer should change with the composition (0:20:38) The baseline tabla skills a kathak dancer should know (0:26:28) Transitioning from UK to India (0:30:39) How has Kathak changedf (or hasn't) for Saberi after coming to India (0:32:52) Social media presence for a kathak dancer (0:40:29) Kathak and Atheism (0:44:01) On the topic of belief (0:52:09) How does Saberi teach differently than how she was taught (0:55:12) How to create more thinking Kathak Dancers

Episode Notes Parul Purohitvats – * Kathak Exponent * Choreographer and Guru * Educator * Artistic Director of "PARUL's Kathak Nritya Sansthan " * Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy "YUVA PURUSKAAR" awardee * (0:02:07) The highlight of Parul's week (0:02:53) The myth of the struggling artist (0:07:05) Career Planning in performing arts (0:13:12) The meaning of the word professional (0:21:20) The humungous difference between a diploma and degree (0:24:18) Finding bliss through Riyaz (0:29:30) The beauty in stillness (0:31:51) The importance of practicing in the slowest speed (0:41:58) Working with artists as an Organizer (0:44:49) The issue of punctuality (0:48:17) Careers in Kathak if you don't want to be a performer* (0:57:02) Career options at the World University of Design, Sonepat (1:02:27) The importance of giving time to people Bio The divinely conferred talent that she holds of dance leaves a stupendous impression on one & all. A talented Kathak danseuse, choreographer and drama instructor Dr. Ms.Parul Purohit Vats has an impressive record for her age. This is evident by her three laudable accomplishments till date, being awarded the”VEER DURGA DAS MATRI SHAKTI AWARD 2017” for her contribution in field of Kathak in Rajasthan, “YUVA PURUSKAAR - 2002” by Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy, and having been conferred with a Ph.D Music degree for her thesis on Dance in 2008 by Jai Narain Vyas University Jodhpur.She was also awarded the Sur Sangam 2019 Excellence award for Performing Arts.   Parul has been in the education field for since 2006.She started as a personality development teacher and choreographer.Slowly and steadily she entered the field of developing curriculam and child centric teaching approach for the institutions she worked for.She has not only studied the pedagogical approach required to be a complete teacher, has also developed in class strategies to felicitate personalized learning keeping the students at the core.   She has worked with many prestigious educational institutions. She was the Cultural coordinator at a Swedish school, Kunskapsskolan Gurgaon where she worked very closely with the teachers in developing children through dance, as a teacher trainer and also imparted training of the KED methodology. She is also an examiner for Prayaag Sangeet Samiti,Allahbad.   Parul is a registered member of International Dance Council, Paris. She was recently invited to present a lecture and perform a self-choreographed dance drama piece at the 51st World Dance Congress on Research, in Athens, Greece.   She was the Principal of Sri Ram Bharatiya Kala KENDRA,an internationally reknowned colloge of music and dance in New Delhi.  Parul cleared her grade 8 in performance arts from Trinity College London, with a distinction. She has been taking dance and drama workshops at the British council, New Delhi since 2011.   Parul was invited by noted filmmaker Mr.Muzaffar Ali,in2016, for a performance on the death anniversary of famous Persian poet “Rumi”. Presently Dr.Parul is the Dean of School of Performing Arts in the World University of Design,Sonepat.Apart from this she is also busy giving lecture-demonstrations,workshops and performances around the globe.

Being Intentional: Anvita Sharma Anvita Sharma Kathak (@anvitasharma.kathak) • Instagram photos and videos Born in Boston and raised in LA, Anvita Sharma is a company performer and Kathak dance instructor of the Lucknow Gharana at Kathak Kala Academy. Coming from a family of Hindustani music scholars, she was exposed to various styles of music and dance early on, but finally realized her passion was in Kathak.   Anvita first started teaching Kathak at the Pasadena Hindu Temple in April 2007, in the middle of her first career change. She had a degree in Finance, but after a few years of working in the corporate sector, she was back in school studying to become an RN. It was in the middle of nursing school when her Guru Rachana Upadhyay suggested she teach Kathak. From then on and until July 2022, Anvita was a full-time registered nurse and Kathak dance teacher. Having two careers for many years meant working long days, while teaching, performing, and holding lecture demos on nights and weekends. Some of her local work has been presented at Bhakti Fest, JPL, USC Pacific Asia Museum, Madison Square Gardens with Pt Birju Maharaj's troupe, Mumbai Sister Cities, IJWD and the Ratha Yatra festival. She has enjoyed teaching in the community, watching students grow from elementary school to when they move away to college. After juggling both careers for 15 years, she recently decided to take a leap of faith, and resigned from her nursing career to dedicate herself to Kathak full time. She is also an active member of Indian Performing Arts Center (IPAC), a non-profit organization which strives to preserve Indian culture through dance. She is currently completing her 6th year Prabhakar degree from Prayag Sangeet Samiti Institution of Music and Dance. Anvita offers classes in Pasadena, Anaheim, Irvine, LA and online. With over 20 years of training in this form of art, her journey continues as disciple under Guru Rachana Upadhyay in Los Angeles and more recently, Smt. Durga Arya in Germany.   (0:02:13) Going Full Time in Kathak (0:05:25) Insights on Time Management: Teaching Kathak along with being a Registered Nurse (0:08:15) Planning Systems for Organization (0:11:05) Having more time for kathakl (0:14:19) Setting up your Riyaz Space (0:19:02) How you teach differently (0:25:59) Affiliating with Prayag Sangeet Samiti (0:36:02) Starting Lessons on Singing (0:37:13) What Anvita is learning these days (0:44:04) Behind the scenes of an Annual Dance Recital (0:49:39) Insights on creating your own academy

Make It Your Own: Amruta Paranjape Home | Amruta Paranjape (0:02:03) The meaning of riyaz (0:05:10) The importance of emptying your mind before riyaz (0:13:21) Learning Kathak as a hobby vs taking it up professionally (0:16:12) Preventing student attrition in Kathak (0:19:09) Handling parents (0:21:08) How do you teach differently (0:30:43) Mastering Microbeats in Kathak (0:33:43) The importance of being innovative (0:41:25) Caged: A new choreography by Amruta (0:44:55) Being inspired by Haruki Murakami (1:04:27) What to do when you aren't motivated internally? (1:13:09) Doing a Riyaz retreat in India (1:18:28) Getting students off their phones in the riyaz (1:20:44) What Amruta taught in her retreat: Teaching beyond what's in the syllabus Amruta Paranjape is the founder and artistic director of Abhivyakti School of Kathak. She is a Kathak performer, choreographer and teacher. Amruta has always been a performer, mesmerizing the audience with her command over intricate Laya-taal (rhythm) and captivating Abhinaya. She is a senior disciple of Guru Shambhavi Dandekar and is currently undergoing advanced training in Laya-taal from Guru Taalyogi Pt. Suresh Talwalkar ji. She has completed her master's degree in Kathak from Lalit Kala Kendra, Pune University and also has achieved 'Nritya-Alankar' degree from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal. She believes in rigorous and consistent training and extensive Riyaz. She has presented her work as a soloist and has also conducted workshops in India and abroad in USA, UK, Nairobi and Portugal. Her approach towards choreography is traditional as well as contemporary. She has choreographed many projects with pure traditional approach. Many of her projects are based on contemporary themes. She believes in originality, creativity and perfection when it comes to choreography. Amruta has received prestigious awards, namely the Golden Talent award received at the hands of Pt. Birju Maharajji and the Pandita Rohini Bhate puraskar given by Pune Municipal Corporation. Amruta is an ICCR empanelled artist and is also empanelled as a Guru in the Centre for Performing arts, Pune University and Bharati vidyapeeth deemed University.

Episode Notes parul shah dance company (kathakdance.com) Parul Shah (@parulshahdanceco) • Instagram photos and videos Show Highlights (0:03:24) The Benefits of dancing without Music (0:04:52) The importance of movement to stand on its own/support (0:05:38) The sequence of narrative, movement, and music (0:10:39) The crux of all of Parul's work: A lens of empathy (0:13:03) Relating Historical narratives to current day issues (0:16:24) Representing Kathak in the dance community (0:17:22) Creating work with a social message (0:19:38) Being Pigeonholed/Competing for the same resources in the south asian community (0:23:21) Why now is the right time for social change with dance (0:28:46) Movement choices and storytelling (0:34:04) Creating new asthetics from a foundation of Kathak (0:35:44) How do you teach differently than how you were taught? (0:37:51) What do you look for in your dancers? (0:42:36) The duality of being yourself and a team player in a group choreography (0:52:01) Empowering studnets to think for themselves The parul shah dance company is a New York-based Kathak and contemporary dance company that expands the classical medium beyond cultural boundaries. Through performance and education, the company's work harnesses the expressive power of Indian classical dance to promote cultural understanding and explore questions around identity and humanity. Artistic director Parul Shah is committed to shining a light on marginalized communities and giving voice to stories that go unheard. Her work focuses on cultural practices that undermine women's dignity and respect. Building on the dance form's mythological roots, Shah tells stories that are steeped in history as well as narratives that reveal today's lived experiences. Drawing from her classical training in the North Indian classical dance, Kathak, and her South Asian American identity, Shah uses her sources as she weaves in and out tradition discovering new aesthetics. The narrative guides Shah's movement language as she searches for authentic expression. Examining the intersections of dance and culture, the company's work reflects the embodiment of political, social, and national ideologies. With a deep commitment to outreach and education, the company has been teaching studio classes, holding workshops, and residencies in all the educational sectors since 2000. As an active arts educator in public schools for nearly two decades, Shah is a teaching artist in schools across NYC boroughs and tries to reach underserved communities in the arts. The parul shah dance company has presented around the world and at home to critical acclaim, including CityCenter's Fall for Dance Festival: NYC, the New Victory Theatre: NYC, the Kennedy Center: Washington D.C, Jazz at Lincoln Center: NYC, Asia Society: NYC, Jacobs Pillow, Inside/ Out series: MA, World Music Institute: NYC, the Japan Forum Foundation: Tokyo, The United Nations Development Program: England and U.S, Suvarna Parva: India, Ahmedabad, and collaborative work in Europe. Shah has also been an Artist in Residence at Mass Mocha, a Teaching Residency for The Yard, and the Fresh Tracks' Residency at New York Live Arts

Episode Notes Akash Dwivedi (@akashdwivedi96) • Instagram photos and videos Akash Dwivedi is a young and bright Kathak Exponent with perfect stage presence and attractive personality. He started his initial grooming training in Kathak from Guru Raksha Singh David and completed his advance training under Pt. Jai Kishan Maharaj and has left no stones un-turned. Bachelor's Degree holder in Science from C. Sh. J. M., Kanpur University has completed his Post Diploma from Kathak Kendra, Alankaar from Gandharv Mahavidyalaya and M. A. in Kathak Dance from Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidhalaya. Graded Artist from Doordarshan and Scholarship holder from National Institute of Kathak, New Delhi. Akash has also received "Vishnu Prabhakar Puruskar" in 2021. Not only this but Akash is also known for his heart taking solo and group performances, who have performed at various prestigious festivals like 'Kathak Mahautsav', 'Malhar Utsav', 'Sharad Utsav' performed 'Kumar shambhav ballet' in the presence of President of India Pranab Mukherjee to be name few. Conducted several works Show Highlights (0:03:23) The difference between doing a Master's in Kathav and an Alankar (0:07:36) How does higher education benefit full time performers? (0:10:48) Preferences given to teaching candidates with advanced degrees (0:12:17) The symbiotic relationship between theory and practice (0:13:09) The need for balance (0:15:20) Challenges faced by today's generation of dancers (0:19:55) Painting examination: IGD (0:24:21) Commonalities between painting and Kathak (0:30:02) Performing at Delhi Kathak Mahotsav (0:39:11) What drives Akash to Innovate (0:48:26) Performing in front of the late former President Mr Pranab Mukherjee (0:53:09) Advice on moving to Delhi from a small town

Balance in All Things: Esha Goyal Class Information | SahajSchoolOfDance Sahaj School Of Dance (@sahajschoolofdance) • Instagram photos and videos Sahaj School Of Dance - YouTube Sahaj School of Dance | Facebook Esha Goyal is an International Kathak Dance Artist, A Choreographer, A Dance Teacher and Founder & Artistic Director of Sahaj School of Dance LLC in Concord, North Carolina, USA. Esha started her dance at the age of 7 with her Guru Smt . Abha Bansal Ji, disciple of The Legendary Kathak Gurus - Guru Shri Hiralal Ji and Guru Shri Kundan Lal Gangani Ji of Jaipur Gharana . Esha received Sangeet Prabhakar degree(post her 8 years of Kathak dance which is also equivalent to Bachelor's degree in Kathak Dance) from Prayag Sangeet Samiti , Allahabad, India. Esha also received Visharad degree (second Bachelors in Kathak Dance) from Bhatkhande Sangeet Vidyapith , Lucknow, India. Post her Sangeet Prabhakar degree she took training under Guru Shri Tapan Roy Ji, disciple of the Legendary Kathak Guru, Smt. Urmila Nagar Ji and received her Praveen Sangeet Acharya degree - 8th year (equivalent to Master's degree) from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad, India. Post her master's degree, Esha is currently doing advance training under Guru Swati Sinha ji, disciple of Guru Pandit Rajendra Gangani ji of Jaipur gharana to further refine her performing skills. (0:01:45) Experience doing the Kathak Retreat with Guru Shambhavi Dandekar (0:07:25) Establishing your own practice (0:08:50) On the topic of priorities (0:10:04) A day in the life of Esha (0:11:32) Family support (0:14:09) The story behind the name Sahaj for her dance school (0:15:02) The meaning of simple (0:16:44) How do you teach differently (0:18:58) Encouraging students to practice (0:20:32) Riyaaz for self (0:22:58) Behind the scenes of an annual recital (0:26:07) Kathak in North Carolina (0:27:32) Future Production (0:28:47) Most memorable performances

Episode Notes Contact us | darlenedhillon Amrita Kathak Global Documentary - YouTube A passionate performer and teacher of Kathak, Darlene Dhillon is a senior student of the legendary Pt. Chitresh Das. She began her training with him at San Francisco State University in 1999 and quickly became involved as a teacher and apprentice company member at his school. Ms. Dhillon has performed at venues like the prestigious Green Music Center in Sonoma, the California State Fair, Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts, and Cal Performances at UC Berkeley. In 2018 she relocated to West Bengal, India for two years to become involved in the rich cultural landscape of the region. While in India she taught workshops at Santiniketan Society of Visual Art and Design and Jogesh Mime Academy in Kolkata. Darlene performed solos at Akar Prakar Gallery in Kolkata, and University of Calcutta. She met the esteemed Kathak guru, Pt. Ashimbandhu Bhattacharya during her travels and began ongoing mentorship with him. Darlene currently runs her school, Amrita Kathak Global in San Francisco. She teaches dance as a way for students to develop their physical and mental strength while learning about the depth of Indian classical music and dance. Her dance company will premiere new choreography at Non-Fiction Design Studios in San Francisco in September, 2022. (0:02:10) Highlight of the day (0:03:22) Nature vs Nuture in the context of dance (0:05:30) Transitioning to full time teaching (0:10:11) Bringing colleagues to Kathak performances (0:11:43) Parallels between architecture and kathak - (0:15:06) A dance drama based on Darlene's life (0:19:55) How do you teach differently than how you were taught (0:22:56) Life skills learned in Kathak (0:25:41) How being in tune with yourself help with compositions (0:26:26) Tips for being more grounded in Kathak (0:28:50) Teaching to kids with multiple interests and classes (0:32:20) Increasing student retention after Kathak graduation (0:34:22) Living in Shantinikentan (0:38:11) Amrita Kathak Global (0:43:38) Fundraising thorugh Kickstarter (0:46:18) Ambitious goals for the future

Episode Notes Prachi Wagh (@prachijawadekarwagh) • Instagram photos and videos Words and Dance form my creative identity. I have a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication (Pune). I worked in Television news and event management (NDTV, AajTak-Headlines Today, Showhouse Events) for over 11 years. Meanwhile having found my calling in Kathak dance under Guru Pandit Chitresh Das and Seema Mehta, I began training under them at Chhandam Nritya Bharati in 2010. I continue to train under the guidance of Madhuri Devi Singh and Joanna de Souza. I head marketing and communication for the institution since 2012. (0:06:15) Year in reveiw (0:01:54) Working the graveyard shift (0:14:41) Storytelling and communication (0:19:39) Teaching how to communicate (0:22:27) Relatibility of Kathak (0:34:55) Where do you pull your stories from? (0:42:29) Portraying Animals through Abhinaya: (0:51:00) Initial days of Chhandam Nritya Bharati (0:53:38) Progressively taking on bigger responsibilities (0:56:16) The importance of word of mouth (1:00:59) How do you teach differently than how you were taught (1:05:50) The role of an intelligent teacher in using time (0:00:00) Non Dominant Protagonists (0:00:00) The motivations of Manthara from the Ramayana (0:01:17) Most memorable performances (0:03:46) Portraying the veil

Episode Notes DUGUN (@d.u.g.u.n) • Instagram photos and videos We, Tania Dey and Pallavi Verma, are a twosome, with our practices in Kathak along with Contemporary Movement practices TANIA DEY:  I am a Design Practioner, Facilitator along with a Kathak trainee and performer. My kathak dance journey so far:  Age 7- 14: Training with Sushmita Ghosh, then a Senior at Bhartiya Kala kendra  Age 14 - 16: Training under Jai kishan Maharaaj, Delhi Kathak kendra. Diploma prog. Age 27 - 29: Contemporary dance technique and Chau under Santosh Nair, Yoga certification Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan.  Age 30 - to current : Various workshops Online and offline from Shika Khare, Eshani Sathe, Sushmita Ghosh Basu. Currently I am in the process of making my own process with Kathak Vocabulary and looking at multiple perspectives away from linear / traditional approach in Kathak Pedagogy. I am very keen on exploring my design exposure with my Kathak training and see where it takes me. PALLAVI VERMA:  I am a dance practitioner based in Delhi. My dance journey began in 2016 with Sadhya Dance Company which trains and performs contemporary dance works with their movement base in Mayurbhanj Chau. In 2018, I started with my kathak learnings at Bharatiya kala kendar under Anukriti Vishwakarma, disciple of Jai Krishan Maharaj. I have been continuing with my training since then at Kendar. My kathak practice interests looks at embodied and experiential knowledge of the body: it's reflexivity, vulnerability and care alongside the technical craft of it. I completed my masters in Performance Practice (Dance) under Ambedkar University, Delhi in 2020.  Currently, I am a part of 'Khuli Khirkee', a shared co working space for professionals engaged in performing arts(previously known by the name Gati Dance Forum). I also continue to work with contemporary dance practitioners in their choreographic works. I have been enjoying my kathak learnings through the inter disciplinary approaches mainly yoga, somatics and visual art.  (0:03:53) The right time to start creating (0:07:13) Jumping into things (0:09:18) Creating for beginners/new students (0:15:33) Current creative work (0:19:24) Researching new ways of Talis and making sounds (0:24:14) Relevant of dance and life (0:28:26) Presentation of sound to the audience with a new vocabulary (0:30:49) Does everything need to be big and loud? (0:33:47) Accepting and rejecting new movement asthetics (0:40:11) The power of a partnership: Strength and Dynamics Intro Music Credit: Bansure Raga | Doug Maxwell

Nainika Mukherjee (@nainikamukherjee) • Instagram photos and videos Nainika started her training under Smt. Swati Sinha in 2005. In 2016, she joined Kathak Kendra under Guru Pt. Rajendra Gangani's guidance, where she completed her Diploma Honours and Post Diploma and performed in his group choreographies. She has also presented solo recitals at TedX organised by Delhi University, Hindi Parv at Kathak Kendra (New Delhi), Art Utsav at Assam, and Saraansh at Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. On the academic front, Nainika is currently pursuing her Master's in Psychology alongside her Post Graduate Diploma in Dance Movement Therapy from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai Show Highlights (0:01:31) Solo at Sangeet Natak Akademi (0:05:09) Learning at Kathak Kendra (0:09:07) Being surrounded by practice (0:13:45) Keeping the essence of a composition alive (0:18:14) Watching oneself dance (0:22:09) Getting feedback from peers and non-dancers (0:24:39) Standing out in a space where everyone is good (0:27:36) Having the right awareness of sellf (0:31:17) Dance Movement Therapy (0:34:21) Difference between therapy and something being therapeutic (0:36:28) The reason why dancers might need dance movement therapy (0:48:25) Meaning of success (0:58:31) Formative years of Kathak

Episode Notes Vaishali Trivedi || Sangati Vaishali Trivedi (@vaishali_sangati) • Instagram photos and videos Vaishali Trivedi is a Kathak dancer, singer, choreographer and a teacher based in Ahmedabad, India. Acclaimed as a rare dancer with a melodious voice by artists and connoisseurs, Vaishali combines perfect technique with flowing grace and a very fine sensitivity. She began her training in Kathak, under Smt. Kumudini Lakhia, India's path breaking choreographer and Kathak dancer, at an early age and later became a principal dancer, teacher and a choreographer at Kadamb Centre for Dance in Ahmedabad. After working at Kadamb for several years, Vaishali branched away and formed Sangati Centre For Performing Arts in 2017. Vaishali has given Kathak performances in major dance festivals in India and has been featured in Festival of India in USSR, Sweden, Germany, Thailand, Brazil, Bhutan, Japan and Canada. She has also performed in many theatres, festivals and events worldwide, including Biennale de la Dance in Lyon, France, Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary, Le Biennale di Venezia in Venice, Italy, Kremlin Palace theatre in Moscow, Russia, London's South Bank Centre, UK, Theatre National de Chaillot, Paris, and Montpellier Dance Festival, France. Vaishali has danced in the great sitar maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar's musical theatre 'Ghanshayam' and also danced and sang in the production of Pt. Birju Maharaj in the Festival of India in Germany at a young age. Recently she has done several collaborative works with world renowned choreographers like Kader Attou, Karine Saporta from France, Joachim Schlomer from Germany, Ivaldo Bartzzo from Brazil, TTB theatre group from Italy and also with choreographers from Switzerland, USA, Pakistan, Spain to name a few. Apart from her solo performances, she has also choreographed a number of group productions which have a blend of traditional and contemporary sensibilities. Her choreographic work has been presented in several prestigious events including Kathak festival organized by Kathak Kendra New Delhi, Tigad festival in Algeria, Voloubilis festival in Morocco, Brazil, Turkey, USA, UK, France, Switzerland, etc. Vaishali has directed large-scale public cultural shows involving hundreds of artists. She has also conducted several workshops and written articles in noted dance magazines such as ‘Attendance'. In 2017 her solo works ‘Project Ravi Varma' and ‘Urban Sufi' were presented at “Indika Festival', UK. In 2019 she choreographed a full -length work, ‘Still Water' involving live visuals and music with 12 dancers for the Abhivyakti Arts Festival. Show Highlights (0:02:17) Rehearsing for World Dance Day (0:03:40) Working with dancers of all levels (0:06:36) How do you teach differently than how you were taight? (0:09:26) How her teaching style has changed over time (0:11:06) Going out on your own (0:14:45) Getting new work and opportunities without being outgoing (0:18:14) The responsibility of being a dancer from Kadamb (0:23:32) Introducing newcomers to Kathak as a choreographer (0:25:22) The importance of being curious about other dance forms/vocabulary (0:28:28) Energy, timing and space in dance (0:29:44) Jamming sessions for projects (0:33:43) Tips on observing dance (0:36:17) Having a generous teacher in Kumiben (0:39:29) Discussion on productions : Still Waters (0:41:45) Inspiration for Still Waters: Living in a big city (0:43:57) Work on Erasing Borders (0:50:01) Future projects and mission (0:52:25) Memorable moments from past performances (0:54:45) Being quarantined in France (0:57:51) Managing people as a choreographer

Episode Notes Neha Pendse (@neha_aaradhana_kathak_dance) • Instagram photos and videos Home - npdanceacademy.com Neha Pendse is the founder and artistic director of Neha Pendse Dance Academy LLC   based in Houston TX. She is the disciple of Late Mrs Savita Godbole, Dr Suchitra Hramalkar and Padma Shri guru Shovana Narayan Traxl. She's been trained in both Lucknow and Raigarh gharana. She has done masters in Kathak dance from DAVV university Indore and holds a gold medal in the same. She has received a junior CCRT scholarship and has represented her university in state (gold medal), zonal (gold medal) and National level (bronze medal). She has been invited to meet then president Mrs Partibha Patil for her contribution in university and received word of appreciation. received. She has performed all over India in various dance festivals like Malhar utsav, Paryavaran utsav ,Guru lacchu maharaj utsav, and USA in Sewa International charity gala, BMM Philadelphia, ICC Houston, HMM Houston, New York kathak festival, mind the gap Houston. She is serving various organizations in dance competitions in the judges panel as well.   She holds a degree in Supply Chain Management from University of Houston. She is the daughter of renowned theatre personality Mr Milind Deshpande. Show Highlights (0:01:39) Getting the academy registered (0:02:57) Must haves for a dance studio (0:03:51) Lake surrounding the studio (0:05:16) Being relatable to your students (0:06:26) The difference between teaching kids and adults (0:08:31) Teaching people who are older than you (0:09:31) Stressing the imporantance of practice (0:12:49) How parents have changed over time (0:13:59) How do you teach differently than how you were taught (0:17:37) What is Neha learning right now with Shovana ji (0:22:02) What is taught at the masters level in Kathak (0:27:31) Mind The Gap (0:29:54) Meet and greet with the audience (0:31:47) Theater and Abhinaya (0:35:01) Performing on Homestages: New York Kathak Festival (0:37:04) Future plans

Creating Dance That Resonates ADITI MANGALDAS Dance Company Bio Aditi Mangaldas is a leading dancer and choreographer in the classical Indian dance form of Kathak. With extensive training under the leading gurus of Kathak, Shrimati Kumudini Lakhia and Pandit Birju Maharaj, Aditi is today recognised for her artistry, technique, eloquence and characteristic energy that mark every performance. Besides dancing and choreographing classical productions, both solo and group, she has broken new ground by using her knowledge and experience of Kathak as a springboard to evolve a contemporary dance vocabulary, infused with the spirit of the classical. Considered a maverick in India, she has consistently broken ground, unafraid to confront social and present-day concerns. She heads the Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company – The Drishtikon Dance Foundation. Show Highlights (0:02:23) A love story between a mature older woman and a younger man: Upcoming Duet with Akash Odedra (0:07:22) Lost In The Forest: expressing the anxiety and isolation felt during the pandemic (0:08:44) Working with Shubha Mudgal for the production (0:09:34) Using empty frames to show movement in time (0:13:32) Performing for the first time in India post Pandemic: 2022 Jaipur Literary Festival (0:15:09) Uncharted: What/Who are we looking for? (0:17:01) Building and nurturing relationships (0:19:26) Getting pregnant with your work (0:21:24) Keeping things open to interpretation based on people's own life experiences (0:22:25) Creating art that resonates with you for years (0:24:32) The elements of storytelling (0:25:34) How far in history do you go back to call something traditional (0:28:32) The importance of not getting complacent (0:29:48) The process of getting to dance on a world stage (0:31:08) Playing the dual roles of a dancer and choreographer (0:32:50) The importance of working with a diverse set of dancers (0:34:11) Wearing multiple hats: dancer, choreographer, artistic director (0:36:21) Cross training: Kalari/Yoga/Contemporary Dance (0:37:43) The meaning of Kathak sensibilities (0:40:39) Giving a direction to your artistic endeavors (0:42:16) Collecting thoughts, ideas, images (0:44:38) Is time reversible: Timeless (0:47:41) Using Rhythm to portray time (0:51:55) How do you feel about being an inspiration (0:56:19) Declining the National SNA award for creative/experimental work (0:57:10) Portraying raw pain and anguish (0:58:59) Having a responsibility as a dancer (1:00:21) Double Standards

Moving Fearlessly towards Artistic Excellence Vidushi Uma Dogra is one of the leading Kathak Exponent of India. She is the senior most Disciple of Late Guru Pt. Durga Lal ji of Jaipur Gharana. For her 50 years contribution in the field of Dance as Performer, Teacher , Choreographer and Author She has been conferred with -Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award from Govt of India in 2014. -Sanskriti Maharashtra Rajikiye Puraskar 2008. -Gaurav Samman from Govt of Maharashtra 2016 . -Honorary Doctorate of Art from ITM University of Raipur 2016. -Honorary Member of Min-on Concert Association Japan for spreading Peace and Happiness through Dance. She is founder and Managing Trustee of Samved Society for Performing Arts. Under its banner from the last 32 years She organises 2 Major Festivals to promote Art and Artists. Pt. Durgalal Festival of Dance and Music. Raindrops Festival of Indian classical Dance. Uma ji has written a book "IN Praise of Kathak" Many Articles on Dance which has published in Megzine of Sangeet Natak Akademi and other publication. She had made a film on her guru "Nirwana through Dance '' Pt. Durgalal " SHOW HIGHLIGHTS (0:03:02) Hosting the 32nd Pt Durgalal Festival post pandemic (0:07:41) Being an artist vs being a dancer? (0:08:52) The importance of appreciating dance,music and paintings (0:11:55) How painting relates to dance (0:14:17) Arranging platforms for dancers (0:20:53) How Uma ji became fearless in the pursuit of arstistic excellence (0:23:40) How should artists determine their worth (0:26:38) Issues that come up when artists become organizers (0:28:07) Younger artists having to pay to perform (0:28:37) A rule of thumb for artists to determine their pay, based on the renumeration of the musicians (0:38:52) Thoughts on getting mentorship from other gurus (0:42:32) How Uma ji portrayed the Khandita Nayika differently (0:45:54) How you teach differently than how you were taught (0:50:21) The importance of appreciating yourself for a dancer (0:51:53) Future projects (0:57:01) Sharing information freely with everyone (0:58:01) Working for animal activism (1:01:52) Urge to senior artists to promote younger dancers/next generation artists

Research in Choreographu: Urja Thakore Urja Thakore (@urja76) • Instagram photos and videos Urja Desai Thakore is one of the UK's leading kathak practitioners, who studied under the guidance of Kumudini Lakhia at Kadamb, Ahmedabad for over 20 years. Urja then read a BA in Kathak from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Maha Vidyalaya. She has also completed a MA in South Asian Dance with Choreography from the University of Roehampton. A graceful and emotive dancer, Urja is renowned for her love of abhinaya, subtle movements and technical strength. Furthermore, her sensitive, thought-provoking choreographic style is highly regarded by both traditionalists and modernists alike. In 2007, Urja co-choreographed Akademi's Bells for the Trafalgar Square Festival, an outdoor dance spectacle that brought together international talents from the UK, India and Belgium. She was also assistant choreographer to Kumudini Lakhia for the Swapnagata Festival curated by Akram Khan at Sadler's Wells in 2009. In 2012, Urja was appointed Artistic Director of the first dance festival in Milton Keynes. With the launch of the BBC Young Dancer competition in 2015, Urja was selected as the Guest Choreographer for the South Asian dance category soloist. Another major passion for Urja within her practice is teaching, something that she has become extensively experienced in over the past 20 years, and has supported her standing as an ISTD Committee Member. Furthermore, viewed as an active advocator and future industry leader for the dance sector, Urja was selected as one of 20 artists for the One Dance UK's Mentoring Programme in 2015. Show Highlights (0:02:59) History behind Kattam Katti: Urja di's signature production (0:07:36) Musicians being part of the choreography (0:11:14) Getting musicians to move on stage (0:13:48) Incorporating new choreographic elements to dance: The R&D Process (0:18:28) The process of editing the production as needed (0:19:41) Choreographing for the Britain Symphony (0:20:50) How is choreographing for an Opera different (0:22:49) How the perception of future projects affects your outlook (0:25:19) How much background info is needed for an audience to appreciate dance (0:37:13) The importance of making each other look good on stage (0:38:40) Starting out on your own in the UK

Tradition: What Stays and What Changes - Prajakta Raj Kathak Dance : Prajakta Raj (Atre) - YouTube Prajakta Atre (@prajakta_atre_3) • Instagram photos and videos Groomed by stalwarts like the late Guru Dr. Rohini Bhate and Guru Roshan Datye, Prajakta Raj is an accomplished Kathak danseuse and a well-known name in this field today. Prajakta, who was trained for 14 years by Guru Roshan Datye, received advanced training from late Guru Dr. Rohini Bhate from 1996 to 2008 at the renowned Nrityabharati Kathak Dance Academy in Pune. Besides completing the Senior Diploma course at Nrityabharati, she has also obtained a Master's Degree in Kathak from the Centre for Performing Arts (Lalit Kala Kendra), Pune University. Prajakta has also successfully proved her mettle as an able dance teacher since 1992. Presently she is working as a Guru and Examiner at the Lalit Kala Kendra of Pune University. As a small contribution to the institution that made her a dancer, she has been working as an Honorary Teacher and Secretary at Nrityabharati Kathak Dance Academy since 2006. She is also the Founder-Director of Aarohini Kathak Dance Academy and the Director of Aarohini Art Welfare Organisation, a non-profit organisation, dedicated to the promotion of Kathak and other art forms. Aarohini celebrated its Silver Jubilee Year from June 2016 to June 2017 by successfully organizing 7 grand stage performances and 1 O Enrichment Sessions throughout the year. A multi-faceted personality, Prajakta also has a Master's Degree in French from Pune University and is a lecturer of French Show Highlights (0:04:09) Non negotiables for your own dance space (0:10:55) Connection with Guru Rohini Bhate ji (0:13:52) Doing Riyaz with a sense of responsibility (0:16:02) Learning values and life skills from her gurus and passing it on (0:20:46) What tradition means to Prajakta Tai (0:23:09) Why it's important to preserve the compositions passed down by her guru (0:23:56) How tradition is like a river (0:27:49) How do you teach differently than how you were taught (0:29:50) implementing new techniques on (0:30:47) How to make your wrists more fluid (0:33:59) How teaching makes you a better dancer (0:49:36) Developing patience vs having it inherently (0:54:38) Bonding with your students outside of class (0:56:03) The logistics of touring abroad for performances (1:03:08) Making friends and well wishers through travel (1:04:18) memorable performances and anecdotes (1:06:53) The importance of being ready with what you've been taught (1:11:41) The feeling of being recognized by people you've never met before

Episode Notes Abhimanyu Lal, son and disciple of renowned guru and SNA Awardee Smt. Geetanjali Lal is recognized as one of the most accomplished Kathak dancers. The splendor of his brilliant solo performance has earned him applause both in India and other parts of the world. Hailed as a bright star in the firmament of Kathak, Abhimanyu has received acclaim as a dazzling dancer by the media and connoisseurs of arts. He has been awarded Shri Krishana Gana Sabha Endowment Award and Nritya Jayantika Award. Presently Abhimanyu Lal is teaching Kathak as Varishtha Kathak Prashikshak in National Institute of Kathak Dance, Kathak Kendra, New Delhi Abhimanyu Lal (@abhimanyu__lal) • Instagram photos and videos (0:01:41) Dancing with your students at class (0:04:06) Rituals in Riaaz (0:05:23) Tips to doing footwork for longer (0:06:46) The importance of improvisation in Upaj (0:09:48) The importance of having a good foundation (0:12:03) Who do you like to work with (0:14:24) Performing at good and bad venues (0:16:45) Rituals before going on stage (0:18:11) Deciding the repertoire based on audience (0:20:11) How to guage the mood of an audience (0:21:09) Memorable performances (0:23:16) Managing language barriers (0:24:27) Playing drums and relating it to Kathak (0:26:17) Preparing students to be independent (0:27:36) Giving Challenges to students on stage (0:28:50) Difference between how you were taught and how you teach (0:31:48) Encouraging students to practice (0:33:15) accomodating students of all levels in workshops (0:35:38) Teaching how to communicate with the audience (0:39:43) working with school students (0:41:56) Legac

Express Yourself Through Kathak: Mousumi I started learning Kathak at the age of 5 year old. I received the foundation training from Asha Dedhulkar, Disciple of Gopi Krishnaji, Benaras Gharana.  After his death, I continued my journey in Kathak under the guidance of Dr. Rajeshri Shirke, Lucknow Gharana I have been a student of Kathak for over 20 years now. I was a recipient of the Jawahar Bal Bhavan award and have received  multiple opportunities to learn from some of the Legends of kathak in India and the US. I continue my learning in the US, under mentorship of Archana Joglekar. In the US, I have been collaborating, choreographing with Performing artists for the last 15 years.  (0:01:23) Kathak as a form of expression (0:06:26) When do students begin to express themselves through dance? (0:13:06) Kathak Training (0:16:13) What are you learning these days (0:17:43) Keeping children engaged in class (0:19:53) Revisiting old pieces (0:23:02) The mindset of a good student (0:25:35) Stories of collaborations (0:30:06) What to look for in collaborators (0:31:25) Stories from the stage/behind the scenes (0:36:11) Connecting with people on a deeper level (0:37:36) Support system and network (0:39:28) Which causes speak to you? (0:41:31) Teaching style and practice (0:48:01) Teaching mathematics through Kathak (0:48:55) Future Projects

Padma Khanna Sidana As the founder and principal of Indianica Academy, Mrs. Padma Khanna Sidana continues her pursuit of reaching out to the youth and members of the Indian community in the United States and beyond. Every year since its inception Indianica Academy presents their annual cultural show titled Chamakte Sitaaray (Shining Stars) where the students showcase their knowledge of Kathak and folk dances of India. Her history making endeavors have been fruitful and reaped benefits for everyone involved. Hailing from the cultural city of Varanasi (Banaras) Mrs. Padma Khanna Sidana began her journey as a student of Kathak at the tender age of 7. As an exponent of Kathak at a very young age she performed on stage as one of the youngest known stage artists of her time. Her mother once revealed that in her deep sleep PADMA'S feet used to tap and keep moving in dance rhythm. She learnt Advanced KATHAK DANCE from Padmashri Gopi Krishna, whose talent of KATHAK is acclaimed and appreciated like Pundit Ravi Shankar's in Sitar. Padmaji's arrival to Mumbai (Bombay) she was welcomed with open arms by Indian Movie Industry (Bollywood). For more than one decade, she was known as “Dancing Queen Of Indian Cinema”. She acted in more than 300 movies in all regional languages of India. Few to mention are “‘Saaz Aur Awaaz, Biwi Aur Makaan, Johnny Mera Naam, Raahgeer, Baharon Ke Sapne, Anhonee, Dastan, Rampur Ka Lakshman, Saudagar, Maaie, Hamaar-Bhauji' and many more. One of her most popular TV series is ‘RAMAYAN”, in which she played the pivotal, outstanding and memorable role of “Kaikeyi”. It is a matter of great pleasure for us today to have a versatile and veteran artist like Padmaji among us. Show Highlights (0:04:19) Learning with Pt Gopi Krishna (0:11:06) Beginnings of Indianica Academy in the US (0:18:33) Support systems in the US (0:22:27) Teaching at Indianica Academy (0:26:18) When do students start taking dance seriously (0:30:33) The mindset of a dancer (0:31:40) The sequence of Riyaz (0:35:36) Adding variations to Tatkaar for longer riyaz sessions (0:39:12) Memorable performances (0:43:31) Story of how a student stayed in touch (0:45:43) Portrayal of kathak in bollywood over the years (0:48:52) Padmja ji's take on what is Kathak and what is semi-classical (0:50:42) On stage vs on screen personalities (0:53:23) Acting in Movies, and Kathak Abhinaya (0:55:19) Future projects

Varsha Prasad Instagram Sojugada Sooju Mallige | Mahadeva | Dance Cover | Bengaluru - YouTube Varsha is a multifaceted Kathak dancer, a known instructor, performer and choreographer with over 20 years of dancing experience. Despite her diverse interest in Psychology, dance and movement therapy, Varsha continued to focus mainly on Kathak, earning recognition and popularising the dance form at home and other countries like Netherland, Germany, Switzerland, Dubai, Srilanka and many more. In 2018 she opened her own studio “Kalaagram art and wellness centre Pvt.Ltd.” in Bangalore and in 2020 she founded “Kalaagram Dance Gurukul” in Goa, a cozy dance haven built from upcycled sustainable materials. This foundation aimed to preserve and popularize kathak to the underprivileged. She has been awarded the dancing flair in Mumbai,2012. Varsha's expertise is not only limited to Kathak but also in therapeutic dance practices, healing, meditation and counselling psychology. Show Highlights (0:02:26) Building your own studio (0:11:04) The DIY mentality (0:12:38) Teaching Russian, Konkani, Marathi Students (0:14:33) Starting classes in Goa (0:19:00) Music and Dance in Goa (0:21:23) Teaching storytelling to students (0:22:12) The meditative nature of Kathak (0:26:02) Work with side trance music (0:28:11) Adapting movements to shooting with a drone (0:29:35) how are kids benefiting from learning dance (0:30:50) dance and psychology (0:34:00) Drawing the line betweeen being empathetic and their therapist (0:35:30) Dance and Yoga Retreat: Samudra (0:40:08) Memorable performances: Dancing in a temple (0:41:33) Tips on being independent

Minhaz Khan (@minhazkhanofficial) • Instagram photos and videos Minhaz Khan is a senior most repertory member of Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company – The Drishtikon Dance Foundation. He started performing at an early age of five at Guru Purnima Mahotsav in Pune and trained under the eminent gurus in the field of art and culture since then from Pt. Rajendra Gangani, Ustad Zafar Mullah Khan and Shri Afsar Zafar Mullah Khan. Minhaz is well known in the Classical field in India. His flawless footwork, speedy pirouettes, graceful movements add subtle abhinaya has impressed connoisseurs and critics alike. He has also worked as an independent choreographer and has taken Kathak workshops in India, Europe and most recent in SIFAS- Singapore Indian Fine Art Society, Singapore in 2019 where he not only took workshop in Banaras gharana but also performed. Minhaz's talent extends from Kathak to instruments in Tabla and Pakhawaj. Apart from Kathak he also does creative dance. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS (0:02:40) Tabla, Pakhawaj, and Kathak (0:06:52) How do you plan to teach? (0:07:45) Encouraging students to practice (0:10:46) Keeping a balance (0:13:01) Productions: Within and interrupter (0:13:54) Auditioning for Drishtikon (0:14:51) Dancing blindfolded (0:18:55) What are classes at Drishtikon like (0:22:46) Being ready for anything: Taiyari (0:25:29) Being open with your colleagues (0:28:01) Keeping an active repertoire (0:29:16) What makes for a good team member in a dance company? (0:33:57) How lights are used in a dance production (0:37:56) How is a light sequence written down? (0:39:10) Solo/Collaborative work (0:44:09) When to start exploring new movements (0:46:33) Watching other dancers (0:47:36) The influence of traveling on dancer (0:52:13) Examples of the different audiences in every country (0:55:10) Incorporating movements from other dance forms (0:57:18) Upcoming projects Episode Notes Notes go here

Episode Notes Deepali Vichare (@deepalivichare) • Instagram photos and videos Bio Deepali Vichare is the founder/director of Aarat Dance Academy, which completes 25 years in 2022. Furthermore, With two decades of experience in dance choreography for over 85+ films & numerous events, her vision is to spread the dance art worldwide & grow together Show Highlights (0:06:15) The value of putting in time into classical arts (0:01:54) Setting boundaries for yourself (0:14:41) Starting online classes with new students (0:19:39) What goes on behind the scenes in a choreography (0:22:27) How do you teach differently than how you were taught (0:34:55) Recent Creations: Staging Frames and Tridhaara (0:42:29) Learning and compartmentalizing different dance forms (0:51:00) Insights into doing effective Riyaz (0:53:38) The need to appreciate and offer feedback to fellow artists (0:56:16) The importance of trying (1:00:59) Future Projects Intro Music Credit: Bansure Raga | Doug Maxwell

Episode Notes BIO Neha Seshadrinath is an innovative and versatile performer of Indian classical dance forms. Her passion for the arts is palpable in her elegantly crafted performances. She has been trained in Kathak and Bharatanatyam under the tutelage of Smt. Nirupama and Shri T. D. Rajendra of Abhinava Dance Company (ADC) for over 18 years. She has also been trained in Natya Shastra under the guidance of her guru Smt. Nirupama Rajendra. She has worked as a principal dancer and a faculty member at ADC and has performed at a number of prestigious festivals and events throughout India and abroad like the USA, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Bahrain and South Africa. She has worked with other dance companies such as Sampradaya Dance Company, Canada and also in a production by Smt. Kumudini Lakhia ji which was featured in Russia. Neha is also a successful solo performer in her own right. She is a graded artist of Doordarshan. She is also the recipient of the Young Artist Scholarship, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India and also an empanelled artist of Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She also holds a Masters degree in Psycho-social counseling and Rehabilitation. She is currently living in Czech Republic and continuing her passion for dance through conducting classes, workshops and also through performances. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS (0:01:09) The concept of Karunas (0:08:22) The importance of having a strong core (0:13:52) How stamina is affected by consistency (0:15:17) How do you teach differently than how you were taught (0:19:09) Drawing the line between being compassionate and being a therapist (0:21:06) Finding more lullabies with girls in it (0:22:34) Creative process (0:25:17) memories from her first performances (0:26:16) How being in Karnataka influenced Neha's kathak practice (0:29:45) Working with Abhinava dance company (0:32:35) Doing both Kathak and Bharatnatyam (0:35:33) Connection with Gurus (0:43:32) Spreading awareness about Kathak

Episode Links Anurekha Ghosh (@anurekhaghosh) • Instagram photos and videos Anurekha Ghosh Dance World - YouTube SHOW HIGHLIGHTS (0:02:34) Moving to India from UK (0:06:56) Transitioning to working and learning in India (0:17:42) How do you perform for a learned audience (0:14:17) Doing Kathak away from Delhi (0:16:26) Kathak in Kolkata (0:18:53) How have your productions evolved over time? (0:21:49) The wish to start presenting more traditional work (0:25:18) Dealing with conflicts during collaborations (0:27:07) Handling ticket sales/costs/logistics (0:29:53) The evolution of tradition (0:32:08) Doing camera based work (0:40:33) Impact and Legacy BIO Anurekha Ghosh is one of the finest internationally acclaimed BBC award-winning Indian Classical Kathak dancers. Her technique and style is a combination of “tradition and modernity”. She has shown her excellence in Choreography be it in the classical or contemporary genre. She has been trained in classical Kathak dance, specializing in the Lucknow Gharana since her childhood under the guidance of Smt. Meera Majumdar and Smt. Mousumi Sen in Calcutta. Anurekha moved to the United Kingdom in 1992 and took further training in Kathak with Guru Pratap Pawar. She received extensive training under the renowned Kathak exponent Nahid Siddiqui from Pakistan. She received advanced ‘talim' from Tabla exponent Pt. Dinanath Mishra of Benaras Gharana. She is fortunate to receive in-depth guidance and ‘talim' from the finest Kathak exponent and Guru Smt. Durga Arya. She learnt the art of Kalaripayattu, a South Indian Martial Arts at CVN Kalari, Kerala. She has trained in vocal music from Smt. Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta in Kolkata. Anurekha has performed in the major theatres and Festivals all over the world as a soloist or with her company productions. She has performed in USA, Canada, all over Europe, India, Estonia, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia and the UK including Royal Opera House, London, South Bank Centre, London, Edinburgh Fringe Festival Madission Square Gardens New York, Festival of FEZ, Morocco (sharing the stage as a soloist with Pandit Ravi Shankar and Anouska Shankar) and Edinburgh International Festival, Scotland, New York Kathak Festival, USA, DancElation Festival, USA, Vande Mataram Dance Festival organized by Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi to name a few. She has choreographed and created many classical and contemporary productions for her company: Anurekha Ghosh and Company. Anurekha received the awards for Arts & culture category presented by the Asian women Achievement Awards in collaboration with BBC, The Lisa Ullman Scholarship for Dance and Movement, the Best choreographer for The Place Choreodrome at The Place Dance Theatre UK, Nritya Shiromani, Naatyasaaradhi, Natya Damru, “Tujhe Salaam” by ILEAD (Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata), Nritha Vilasini, REX KARMAVEER fellowship from ICONGO instituted by United Nations, Amravati award, Pandit Arjun Mishra award and Padmavati award, Kala Bhushan award to name a few. Anurekha collaborated with internationally renowned choreographers like Padmashree Kumudini Lakhia, Akram Khan (UK), Nahid Siddiqui (Pakistan/UK), Shobana Jeyasingh (UK), Mark Baldwin (UK), Andre Gingras (Holland), Héla Fattoumi and Eric Lamoureux, Via Dance Company, France. She has danced in the Michael Howell film “FRANKENSTEIN” choreographed by Mark Baldwin, screened on BBC. Her performance is also featured in the film THE SUFI WORLD. She has given many performances on BBC, Channel 4, French Television, and Indian Television. Anurekha shares her time in India and the west, teaching classical Kathak to aspiring students across the world, She has been conducting dance workshops and master-classes in Primary and Secondary schools, Special Needs schools, Performing Arts colleges and University all across the globe. She has been imparting classical Kathak dance training in intensive retreats attended by students from various parts of the world. Intro Music Credit: Bansure Raga | Doug Maxwell

EPISODE LINKS Sonia Sabri Company (@soniasabrico) • Instagram photos and videos Sonia Sabri Company (ssco.org.uk) SHOW HIGHLIGHTS (0:02:03) 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony (0:03:54) A Camp for Kathak (0:08:11) Catering to varying experience levels of dance (0:12:11) How do you teach differently compared to how you were taught (0:18:54) The issue of students dropping out of Kathak in high school (0:27:06) Outreach and Education: Teaching audiences about dance (0:35:01) Making your content specific to your audience (0:39:38) What does it mean to collaborate? (0:49:02) Building relationships with dancers (0:56:02) Hiring dancers for Sonia Sabri Dance Company (1:04:34) Performing kathak for 10,000 people: WOMAD (1:06:47) How would you like to be remembered? BIO She also runs Kathakaars, a creative forum for aspiring dancers providing vocational training and offering a range of performance and choreographic opportunities to create a legacy of high quality artists Sonia Sabri is UK's leading Kathak dancer, amongst the brightest and most inspirational of British born dancer-choreographers working in the twenty-first century. Creating work that spans from the presentation of classical roots of Kathak to explorations of contemporary approaches, her productions reflect an appreciation of Western and Eastern cultures. She has created a fresh, unique style of Kathak by reinventing it from within, by pushing boundaries and generating work that is original in concept and exciting and relevant to today's audiences. As a dance artist, she is acclaimed for her enchanting stage presence, grace and musicality that enthral audiences both nationally and globally. She has secured an international reputation for collaboration across dance styles and art forms including work with pioneers Sarvar Sabri, Arlene Phillips CBE, Sir Trevor Nunn, Richard Alston, Lea Anderson, Shobana Jeyasingh, Nitin Sawhney, Rose English, Jonzi D, Jatinder Verma to mention a few. As well as touring with work created in Britain across the world she has been supported and commissioned by UKTI and British Council and independent bodies to create new work and lead meaningful learning and participatory projects. One of many highlights include her work in the Emirates touring with Kathakbox; leading movement based workshops and residencies for women only groups and especially from orthodox backgrounds; residencies with children with learning difficulties, and creation of new dance and live music works with girls. Sonia is the first female artist and female led dance company to have toured the Emirates and other parts of the Middle east. Sonia's art is the seed of all her outreach work in the community for different groups including women, young people and children, mothers and daughters, young families, elderly people through to working with women of mental and health concerns many of which referred by GPs. Some examples include working with women in some of the deprived areas in the country using movement and music as a way to share their personal experiences as a way of therapy. Providing a safe environment, emotive language of art and with Sonia's sensitive and sympathetic nature (derived from her personal experiences), women unveiled their inner most thoughts, challenges, concerns and broken dreams. Through carefully considered and bespoke arts programmes, residencies and workshops, Sonia has enabled many women to transform their lives. Some examples include - many have gone into education; have built confidence to communicate with their families about their inner most feelings / concerns which otherwise they feared to voice; change their lifestyle towards positive mental and physical health; build friendship circles to empower other women. Some who had lifelong dream to dance, sing, or play an instrument were provided a platform to do so and have now gone on to seek vocational training to develop their talent with some now performing in community and professional settings. Sonia has also trained library workers in community libraries and in health centres how to use the toolkit of Kathak dance and offer emotional and physical wellbeing, build child and parent relationships, and approaches to communicate with women of culturally sensitive backgrounds who often felt detached from main stream society. Where ever Sonia has delivered and continues to deliver these programmes, there is a legacy of empowered women who are now helping other underrepresented women.  Sonia works with women and girls of all backgrounds and experiences and many are from the muslim community. She is considered a role model nationally and not exclusively for the South Asian community given the ground-breaking work she has developed through her artistic practice. There are very few women of her faith and cultural heritage and a proud British Indian leading the way for the future generation. In addition, Sonia is a teacher of Kathak and regularly undertakes various workshops, lecture- demonstrations and residencies in both national and international venues. She is accredited by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). Recently she was commissioned by BBC Young Dancer 2017 as one of the mentors and choreographers for the grand finals.

Intro Music Credit: Bansure Raga by Doug Maxwell SHOW HIGHLIGHTS (0:01:49) Current Trends in Kathak Research for Academia (0:09:05) How Kathak has picked up movements from other dance forms (0:10:47) The case for the Bengal Gharana (0:23:16) spreading awareness on the Bengal Gharana (0:25:23) How you choose a Taal (0:30:59) Portrayal of Durga (0:40:03) How poeple were affected by the portrayal (0:44:31) How do you teach Abhinaya to your students (0:48:22) The importance of formal education for a career in dance (0:53:46) The 5 types of Student Interactions Amita di has (1:08:27) How to make Kathak more accessible, and build an audience EPISODE LINKS Amita Dutt | Facebook BIO Amita Dutt, Uday Shankar Professor of Dance at Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, has been serving the world of Kathak for more than three decades. Groomed in the strictest classical traditions under Pdt. Birju Maharaj, Prof. Bela Arnab, Pdt. Vijay Shankar and other leading maestros of the premier Kathak gharanas, Amita dances with a hypnotic force and subtle sensitivity combining rhythmic virtuosity with delicate expressiveness, commendable, ‘taiyaari' with mastery in ‘abhinayanga'. In her art we find a successful blend of tradition and talent, environmental totality as well as breathtaking dynamism. Her innovative, analytic mind has also constantly encouraged her to experiment with new ideas - thus expanding the boundaries of Kathak. Having her roots in Calcutta, Amita has performed far and wide across three continents. Among her innumerable dance recitals in prestigious dance and music festivals, mention may be made of the Khajuraho Dance Festival, the Konark Festival, Utsav Mahakaleshwar, Rajgir Mahotsav, the Biswa Banga Millennium Festival, the First South Asian Festival of SAARC Countries, the India Festival in USSR, the American Dance Festival, Uday Shankar Festival, Sarat Chandrika Festival, North American Bengali Conference, Nritya Nitya Utsav, the Young Choreographers Festival, Nir Mahal Tourism Festival, Bishnupur Tourism Festival, the India Festival at Singapore entitled Incredible India @ 60, China Kunming International Culture and Tourism Festival and many more. During the Autumn Festival of 1990 at Darjeeling, when the President of India, Sri R. Venkataraman, came as the Chief Guest, the Governor of West Bengal Prof. Nurul Hassan invited Amita to present her traditional dance and choreographic composition Durga. She also performed for the official government function for the Golden Jubilee of Indian Independence at Patna (1997). During the visit of the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe to Kolkata, Amita performed in the lead with her University troupe in her own choreographic creations on Tagore's songs. She has also popularized her dance by performing at academic conferences and institutions. The Governor of Bengal Sri Narayanan invited her to present her dance before the King of Bhutan HM Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk at the Raj Bhavan Kolkata on October 5, 2010. In addition to giving solo recitals, Amita has been experimenting with new choreographic patterns blending pure Kathak movements with popular songs and innovative themes and has staged a number of very successful choreographic productions including Durga, Chitra Jhankar, Nazrul nana Chande, Biswa Beena Robey, Bhanusingher Padavali, Geetanjali, East West Encounter, Nrityanajali, Joyodhwani, Amrapali, E ki Madhura Chanda, Swadesh, Mother, Celebrating Light, Dash Avatar, Celebrating Light, Varsha and Basant-Bahar. She has given three recitals for the National Programme of Dance on Doordarshan. Her performances have also been telecast over various channels innumerable times both in India and abroad including USA, Germany, Hungary and the former USSR. Her interviews over the radio and the television in various parts of the world have spread the message of Kathak far and wide. Besides being an excellent dancer Amita is also a brilliant student of English Literature and a Gold Medalist of the Calcutta University. Her academic background has helped her to popularize her dance form through her prolific publications in major books and journals such as Bhakti in Indian Classical Dances (Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad), Desh Binodon 1987 (Special Issue on Dance), The Statesman Festival Number 1990, Special Independence Golden Jubilee Issue of Desh and Dance Specials of Nandan. Papers on major aspects of dance written by her have been published in various departmental Journals of Rabindra Bharati University and Gauhati University and in Rabindra Bharati University Convocation Volumes 2005 and 2006. Amita's Kathak Mahotsav (monograph) was published by Kathak Kendra, New Delhi and she is a regular contributor to the dance sections of The Statesman, Aajkaal and Bartamaan and has written for The Hindustan Times, Sananda, Pratidin, Business Economics, Dainik Statesman, West Bengal and Paribartan. She is a regular columnist for Maashik Basumati with a special page – Prantik - assigned to her for each issue. She has written papers for innumerable journals of major Universities. Her conference paper - The Resurgence of Indian Classical Dance in the Twentieth Century: Colonial Inheritance or Indigenous Self Fashioning? - presented at an international seminar of the Department of English, Calcutta University, has been published in the volume ‘Colonial and Post Colonial Perspectives: Context, Text, Intertext'. Edited by Krishna Sen & Tapati Gupta. (Published by Das Gupta and Co. Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata. 2007.) Her article Bhakti in Indian Dance features in the volume ‘Religion and Art' edited by J.K.Sadani and published by Bharatiya Sahitya Samsad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. 2007. Her contributions in cultural encyclopedias include ‘Some Indian Dance Forms: Kathaka, Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi' in Aesthetic Theories and Forms in Indian Tradition Vol. VI Part I (Ed.) Kapila Vatsayan & D.P.Chattopadhyaya - A Project of Indian Science, Philosophy and Culture, Centre for Studies in Civilization, New Delhi, 2009 and three sections: ‘Kathak Dance: Origin and Variations of Gharana', ‘Technique of Kathak Dance' and ‘Hasta Mudras in Indian Dance' in Vol. VI Performing Arts in Indian Culture: Encyclopaedic Survey in Eight Volumes edited by Jaikishandas Sadani, Bharatiya Vidya Mandir, Jaipur & Kolkata, 2008. Amita's moving deliberations in seminars and conferences all over the world in academic conferences and other forums have helped to spread the message of her dance. The Tagore Festival at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA featured Amita as the Key-note Speaker (Tagore on Education) as well as the star performer (2004). The Peking University, Beijing, China invited her to perform on Tagore in their conference on “Understanding Tagore” (2010). A dedicated teacher, Amita's students include National and State Scholarship Awardees, University Gold Medalists and successful performers. Amita has been the research advisor of many research scholars including Fulbright scholars. As Artistic Director of Ananda Chandrika, an organization (with a Government Partnership) for research and productions on dance, Amita has choreographed and presented many innovative dance programs and documented many dance productions. Amita has served as Judge and Member of the Jury in important national events such as National Kala Utsav organized by the NCERT, Ministry of Human Resource Development, in National competitions organized by the Ministry of Culture and Pdt. Birju Maharaj ji's Kalashram and in state level competitions organized by the Ministries of Information & Culture and Sports & Youth Affairs, WB. In an attempt to popularize and make available authentic training of Kathak all over the world, Amita has embarked on a program of teaching through the television and the web. She has been the Resource person for 36 episodes on Kathak covering the entire Bachelor of Performing Arts Foundation Course in Kathak as prescribed by the University Grants Commission and produced by the Educational Multi Media Research Centre, Kolkata, for the University Grants Commission - Consortium for Education Communication scheme. This project is still continuing with more episodes under preparation for the Bachelor of Performing Arts 2nd Year, 3rd Year and 4th Year Courses. These courses are available as CDs from the UGC-CEC office at Delhi and are telecast often on the Indian television Doordarshan National and UGC network and on the EMRC website. These programs have received citations in the 19TH UGC-CEC All India Educational Video Competition held at New Delhi in Oct-Nov 2007 in the categories Best Programme in E-content and Best Presenter / Anchor Person. Amita was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award by Prasar Bharti (Doordarshan) in November 2015. She has been the Head of the Department of Dance (2001-2003 & 2014) and the Dean of the Faculty Council of Undergraduate and Post Graduate Studies in Fine Arts (2006-2010) at Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. Her associations with other major Universities as Resource Person, Expert, Visiting Fellow and Examiner include Visvabharati (Santiniketan), Indira Kala Sangit Vishwa Vidyalaya (Khairagarh), M.S.University (Baroda), Punjabi University (Patiala), Calcutta University, Banaras Hindua University, North Bengal University, Bhatkhande Music Institute Deemed University, Jadavpur University, Kalyani University, Tripura University, Bharatidasan University (Tiruchirapalli) and University of Burdwan. She has also given Lecture Demonstrations at various Universities in USA including the Universities of Arizona, Duke, Yale, Purdue, Ohio, Miami, Delaware, Fayetteville State, Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Tulsa and Central Florida. Amita has been teaching Online through the Massive Open Online Course titled Foundation Course in Kathak (June to December 2020, July to December 2021) and Junior Course in Kathak (January to June 2021) hosted on MHRD's SWAYAM portal with EMMRC, St. Xavier's College as the Regional Nodal Agency. These courses are supported by the Consortium for Education Communication (CEC) and the University Grants Commission (UGC). Amita was awarded the Shiksha Ratna Award for 2017 by the Government of West Bengal, Department of Education for her contribution to Higher Education and the Parul Shiksha Samman 2017 by the University of Calcutta. She was also awarded the Anupama Award 2017 for her contribution to Women's Empowerment by Turnstone Global. She was invited by the Government of the United States to the prestigious American Dance Festival where she performed, taught in Master Classes and attended an Arts Management Course. Subsequently she has also contributed to her field as an organizer and manager. She was the Convener, Culture of the Bishwa Banga Millennium Festival and the Artistic Director of the Kathak Mahotsav 2000. She has also been the Coordinator for UGC Refresher Courses on Performing &Visual Arts at her University. Amongst the innumerable awards and honours conferred on her, mention may be made of the titles of Singar Mani, Nritya Urvashi, Nritya Sagar, Nritya Jyoti and Nritya Bharati. She has been honoured at the North American Bengali Conference and the Mayor of Cincinnati, USA gave her the Keys to the City thereby making her an Honorary Citizen and also called that day, May 15, 1994, Amita Dutt Day. In November 2004 she received the Governor's Commendation in recognition of her contribution to Art from Brad Henry, Governor of the State of Oklahoma, USA. On May 26, 2014, she was conferred the Uday Shankar Award – Lifetime Achievement Award for Dance - by the Government of West Bengal. Always eager to serve society and the downtrodden, Amita has given innumerable performances for social service causes – both to create awareness and collect funds. She is an active member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta, having served in the capacities of Editor, Director and Chairperson. She is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and is the wife of the Past District Governor of Rotary International, Dr. Amitava Mookerjee. She is the Founder Director of the Performing Arts Therapy Centre at Rabindra Bharati University where research is conducted and training is given to serve the ailing and the impaired through dance, drama and music. She has been the Chairman of the Special Cell for Women's Issues at Rabindra Bharati University for five years and has taught on issues of Women's Empowerment at various Universities and Institutes. She is the External Expert for Committees on “The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act, 2013” for several divisions of Indian Oil Corporation Limited and La Opala RG Ltd. Scholar, choreographer, danseuse and professor, Amita's main aim is to popularize her dance and she has never turned down an opportunity to spread the message of her art at home or abroad. She has given innumerable performances for academic institutions and conferences and social service causes. Amita's present passion is to establish the Bengal Gharana of Kathak. Over the last 150 years Kathak has become a part of the cultural heritage of Bengal. Innumerable performers, teachers and students of Kathak are spread all over the state. Amita wants to crystallize Bengal's contribution to Kathak - which also features her Kathak creations - and lay the foundations of the Bengal Gharana of Kathak.

Episode Links Vidha Lal - YouTube Vidha Lal (@vidhalal) • Instagram photos and videos Vidha LAL Kathak Exponent | Facebook Show Highlights (0:01:42) Sankalp: Promoting young dancers (0:08:11) Aharyam: Jewelry for Kathak Dancers (0:14:34) The wait for the Bismillah Khan Yuva Puruskar (0:17:21) The importance of people vouching for you (0:20:14) How the reach of youtube is bigger than other social media avenues (0:21:57) Adapting to different audiences across the world (0:25:50) What kind of organizers do you like to work with? (0:28:53) Stories from backstage: The case of the missing ghungroo (0:36:31) Pre Stage Rituals (0:38:09) Who to rely on to get feedback from? (0:40:49) The importance of being your own person (0:44:14) Riyaz Rituals: Using an Agarbatti (0:47:13) Guiness World Record Bio Vidha lal, a multi-faceted Kathak exponent is a disciple of renowned guru and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee guru Smt. Geetanjali Lal of Jaipur Gharana. Vidha holds a masters degree with distinction and gold medalist from Indira Kala sangeet Vishwavidalaya , Khairagarh, Chattisgarh. She has completed her diploma hons (11 years training), from the National Institute of Lathak, New Delhi in the year 2000 and also a merit scholarship holder of Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. She is a graduate from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi. Vidha is an empanelled artist of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and ‘A' graded artist from Delhi Doordarshan. She has Performed in many prestigious festivals in India and abroad including Khajuraho dance festival, Nishagandhi festival, Milap Fest Liverpool , Dance India Asiad Pacific Singapore, Sydney Dance Festival Australia.

Bio Mansi Khosla's dance journey began at the age of 4 in Nairobi, Kenya, when she started learning Bharatnatyam under the tutelage of Kamini Thakkar. She completed her training and arangetram in 1997. In 1998, Mansi became a student of Pali Ji Pali Chandra Kathak in London. Her journey is still continuing today, not just through her dance and relationships, but also through her 3 blessings, her daughters, who are also now, a part of this beautiful legacy Episode Links Show Highlights (0:03:10) Dance as an expression (0:09:48) Creating an environment of freedom (0:12:57) Process of creation (0:21:07) Being a dancer and a mother to dancers (0:25:57) Returning after a sabbatical (0:28:28) What was it like to be away from the stage? (0:31:23) The importance of having the right support system (0:35:20) Most memorable performance (0:41:18) The humanity of dance (0:45:10) Relationship with Pali Chandra ji (0:53:17) Strengths and weaknesses of today's dancers (0:59:24) Riyaz Rituals Into music credit: Bansure Raga by Doug Maxwell

Episode Notes EPISODE LINKS Cyenthia Vijayakumar (@cyenthia.kathak) • Instagram photos and videos Cyenthia Vijayakumar - YouTube BIO Cyenthia Vijayakumar is a Kathak dancer from Milwaukee. She has undergone her training in Lucknow gharana from Guru Murari Sharan Gupta and Guru Hari and Chetna. She is currently undergoing her training under Guru Sujata Banerjee from London. She founded Aarambh Kathak Dance School in 2019 in Milwaukee to spread this art form to a diverse group of people in Milwaukee. She believes that Riyaz/practice is a key to make progress in any kind of Indian Classical artform be it dance or music. Practice is a continuous process that should not stop at any point in time. Practice evolves you as a dancer and as an individual helping you move towards the path of perfection and progress. Anything can be achieved if a dancer has the right kind of guidance from a Guru and the right practice techniques. “Never ever give up on whatever you love to do! Good dancers are not born talented. They have been taught and trained and pursued practicing without giving up” is what she believes in. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS (0:01:51) Creative Process (0:08:46) The importance of making movements your own (0:13:13) Becoming the characters you portray (0:17:49) Who do you go to for feedback? (0:19:53) How do take the audience into account for performances (0:27:14) Community support in Wisconsin (0:34:37) Most memorable performance (0:38:41) Teaching at Aarambh (0:43:55) How do you teach differently from how you've been taught? (0:46:39) the consequences of being strict (0:49:29) Improving over time (0:54:37) When is something considered good to showcase (0:57:35) Teaching and Lecture Demonstrations (1:03:21) When dancers from another style start learning Kathak

Episode Notes BIO Prachee started learning Kathak with her Guru Asha Joglekar at the age of 6. She continued learning under her guru's tutelage for over 15 years, meanwhile attending workshops by Pandit Birju Mahrajji, Rajendra Gangani ji, Rohini Bhate ji and others in Mumbai and Pune areas. She won several competitions, and was also awarded the All India dance scholarship under 18 by the Govt. of India, Ministry of Culture. After a break of about 9 years, as Prachee pursued her IT career aspirations both in India and USA, Prachee continued to learn under the guidance of Guru Rita Mustaphi ji, in USA Minnesota. She is a company intern at Katha Dance Theater, and has performed in their internationally acclaimed dance drama, Karna - The Abandoned Hero (a blend of Kathak dance and Gospel music). Prachee is also a 2020 IndianRaga fellow A passionate dancer, a loving mother of two young girls, and an ambitious IT professional, Prachee continues to perform, teach and learn Kathak in and around Columbus, Indiana. EPISODE LINKS Prachee Palekar (@pracheepalekar.kathak) • Instagram photos and videos SHOW HiGHLIGHTS (0:47:58) The meaning of being senior (0:48:55) Kathak in the Midwest: future projections (0:01:41) How a career in IT carries over to Kathak, and vice versa (0:09:54) Recent performances in Indiana (0:11:24) Kathak before and after motherhood (0:15:48) Finding time for riyaz while managing parental responsibilities (0:19:26) Dancing on rough cement floors (0:20:41) How your kids respond to your dance (0:22:43) What happens in the hours before a performance? (0:23:19) Striving for perfection (0:27:22) Returning to Kathak after motherhood (0:33:24) What progression looks like when coming back after a break (0:36:27) Work with katha Dance Theater (0:40:43) Teaching older adults (0:44:08) The Responsibility of teaching Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga

Episode Notes Episode Links Kalpana Subbarao – Dance is the language of her soul (wordpress.com) Kalpana Subbarao - YouTube Kalpana Subbarao (@kalpanasubbarao) • Instagram photos and videos Bio Kalpana Subbarao is an artist with over 20 years experience in Indian classical dance forms, Kathak and Bharatanatyam. As a 2018-2019 Artist in Residence for Dance Source Houston, she produced a collaborative show on Kathak-Flamenco with 7 other artists from Houston. In 2021, she extended this work with an original new piece titled Ritmo Zindagi that premiered at the Miller Outdoor Theater. She has been a solo artist at the Barnstorm Dance Festival. She is a certified Teaching Artist through Young Audiences of Houston/University of Houston. She studied Bharatanatyam in a traditional setting in India. A recipient of a 3-year scholarship from the Sangeet Nritya Academy, she holds the 1st rank in the Senior and Vidwat (Proficiency) exams. Currently, she practices Kathak and is a disciple of Pandit Sontosh Kumar Chatterjee for the past 9 years. She is a student of rhythm with Pandit Divyang Vakil for the past 2 years. In 2021, she completed a 15-day workshop on Navarasa Sadhana, a system of acting methodology for dancers, conducted by Guru G. Venu. She has performed in USA, India and Malaysia. She has conceptualized, co-created, co-choreographed and directed an evening-length production of Kathak-Flamenco, A Celebration of Cultures. As a choreographer, she showcased her work, Beloved, at the Mind The Gap show in 2017. She was the lead choreographer for Kathak in Silambam Houston Dance Company's production, Kāvya: Poetry in Motion staged at Miller Outdoor Theater (2018) and MATCH (2017) in Houston. Kalpana teaches Kathak for Silambam Houston at their Pearland and Heights locations. She has a Master's degree in Computer Science from University of Houston and has previously worked as an engineer. Show Highlights (0:02:30) Getting back on stage after a year (0:04:26) Kathak in Houston (0:06:06) Kathak Flamenco collaboration (0:12:47) What do you look for in youur collaborators (0:21:53) Being Friends outside of collaborations (0:24:09) how taalvidya has changed the way you see dance (0:25:45) Doing online classes pre-pandemic (0:33:37) Transitioning from Bharatnatyam to Kathak (0:37:21) How do you teach differently? (0:48:59) Restarting after a long gap (0:54:24) Future projects Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga

Episode Notes BIO I am a Kathak enthusiast. I started learning Kathak dance at a tender age in Banaras, U.P., India. I started my training under the tutelage of Dr. Purnima Pandey and continued with Smt. Manju Shukla at Banasthali Vidyapeeth Rajasthan. Both Dr. Pandey and Smt. Shukla are disciples of Sri Mohanrao Kalyanpurkar who was a disciple of Pandit Shambhu Maharaj. Currently, I teach Kathak dance in Central New York. My students are of all ages, ranging from three to seventy years of age. I find teaching Kathak to be an ideal mechanism to instill confidence and a sense of purpose amongst my students. EPISODE LINKS https://www.instagram.com/anjanidanceacademy/ https://www.seemakathak.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnucbiE1kf9Lh0k9gH1FteQ https://www.facebook.com/seemakathak SHOW OUTLINE (0:01:41) Building an audience for Kathak (0:07:46) Cultivating an interest in Kathak for students interested in Bollywood dance (0:11:45) Community Involvement (0:16:21) How to connect with people (0:20:30) The personality traits obtained from being a performer (0:25:09) How do you teach differently from how you were taught? (0:28:28) Encouranging students to practice? (0:32:31) Benefits of the ISTD Syllabus for Kathak (0:36:57) What are you learning these days? (0:39:58) Memorable moments with Anjani Academy (0:42:04) Dance and Spirituality Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga

Episode Notes An experienced Human Resources professional and a dedicated Art Enthusiast, I am the Director, Gurukul Studios. I spearhead all the Projects at Gurukul. I bring to the table, strong corporate and business experience of aviation industry with companies like Cathay Pacific and Emirates. At Gurukul, I have established distinct methodologies and fair business practices with a vision to be a culturally rooted yet progressive dance organisation! It is currently one of the leading Indian classical dance academy in the Middle East with branches in India and Switzerland. I have made path-breaking forays into the Dubai Academia and taken Gurukul Art Outreach Programs to several academic and art forums. Gurukul Dubai, works closely with GEMS Modern Academy and other leading schools in the region. As a conscious decision of our Corporate Social Responsibility policy, we worked with specially abled students on SNF, Dubai and Al Noor. Gurukul Dubai was established by Pali Chandra and me, in 2007. We provide quality and classical dance education to more than 350 students in Dubai, and have started operations in Zurich and Bangalore (India). We are true practitioners of Indian Classical Dance syllabus of ISTD, UK , and strongly believe, that internationally it is one of the the most compatible syllabi. We have been holding ISTD exams annually since 2012 and have enabled and supported approximately 74 in 2012, 91 in 2013, 128 in 2014, 127 in 2015,165 in 2016 and 205 in 2017. Whilst the numbers speak of the popularity and acceptance of the syllabus through us, we at Gurukul have ensured quality education and hence the results. We adhere to the syllabus guidelines for all levels from CEP to Grade 6, with a focus on ISTD safe dance practices. Many workshops by visiting faculty have been organised by Gurukul to help maintain standards. Some of my successful projects include the 3 days Kathak Festival, Sufi Noor in 2009 and 2012, Five Elements, (2010) Navarasa (2013), Naach – 100 Years of Bollywood (2014), Taalmala (2016), Navinayika (2015), Lasya (2018), Parampara - an annual event of Gurukul wherein we take our students from all our centres to India - to learn from the maestros, to name just a few. My past assignments include those with the Emirates Group as Human Resource Specialist, Commercial Division, Dubai and Cathay Pacific Airways, Vancouver/Canada and Hong Kong.A people's person at heart, a mentor and an executive decision maker, I worked hard to make Gurukul a well recognised centre for ISTD education and a place for dance lovers to connect with. I must confess that this could not have been done without the artistic guidance of Pali Chandra and my pro-active and committed facilitators and admin teams.! India and specially, the City of Bangalore, holds immense potential for dance education based on ISTD syllabus. With the very first studio that opened last month (December 2017) in one of the most centrally located communities on Wood Street, off Brigade Road, I can clearly visualise reach of our programs with ISTD at its heart ! As a child I had learnt kathak dance for 7 years under the able guidance of Guru Vikram Singhe and am currently being trained under Pali Chandra for Vocational Course of ISTD. Show Highlights (0:02:04) The need for systematic dance Education (0:03:16) Career Options in Dance (0:07:12) Being good vs being the best (0:08:39) What made you want to return to dance? (0:10:17) Roles and Responsibilities in Gurukul (0:15:09) Interviewing Teachers for Gurukul (0:22:25) Onboarding process at Gurukul (0:25:03) What do students need? (0:27:15) When can you start using dance to express yourself? (0:29:28) What do your students love about you? (0:33:36) Building an audience in Dubai (0:36:02) Persevering during the hard times (0:38:21) Sponsorships (0:40:03) Building relationships with sponsors (0:45:09) Managing sponsorship expectations (0:49:29) What do artists want? (0:52:05) Leaving good feedback to artists (0:56:58) Gurukul India (1:01:09) Competition in Bangalore (1:03:45) Culuture of dance in Bangalore (1:04:12) Future of Gurukul Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga

Episode Notes Rohit Parihar was initiated into Kathak dance at an early age by his Father and Guru Sampat Kumar Parihar of the Jaipur Gharana. Later began learning Kathak dance under the guidance of Guru Pandit. Rajendra Kr. Gangani He's currently a lecturer in JG College of Performing Arts, and a visiting artist at Kadamb Centre for Music and Dance. (0:02:05) Earliest memory of doing Kathak (0:03:26) Being at Ease on Stage (0:04:52) Building relationships with artists (0:06:25) Keeping the audience engaged (0:08:12) Pre-Stage Rituals (0:11:15) The Intricacies of Sawaal Jawab (0:13:14) Guruji ki Kripa (0:18:00) Riyaz Rituals (0:21:28) Generating Curiosity in Students (0:23:13) Teaching practice (0:25:46) How you teach differently from how you were taught (0:30:48) The importance of padhant (0:38:49) Work with Kadamb (0:45:43) Changes in Stylization when working with others (0:46:56) What's unique to Kadamb (0:47:58) Where does uniqueness arise from? (0:49:30) Work with Drishtikon (0:51:49) Dancing with an injured toe Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga

Show Highlights (0:01:35) Aparimita Production (0:02:51) The importance of Powada in Maharashtra (0:04:25) Providing Opportunities for Students (0:05:55) Riyaz with Students (0:07:53) Injury Prevention (0:10:33) How does Maneesha Tai teach differently from how she was taught (0:14:30) Hastasoundarya: What makes movements beautiful: (0:20:58) Sangatkalar: The importance of accompanying artists (0:25:07) Accompanying Artists in Maneesha Nrityala (0:27:53) Teaching students the essentials of music and rhythm (0:30:43) Process of creation (0:32:06) Raag Maala (0:35:40) DIfference in students since 1975 (0:38:52) changes in teaching over time (0:42:56) The evolution of audiences (0:47:34) When and how Tai's family members got into Kathak (0:51:34) Overcoming Major life miltestones (0:57:06) The importance of support systems for performing artists (1:01:34) Memorable performances and anecdotes (1:03:01) Doing 60 performances in two years before 60th birthday (1:08:48) Performing with Kishan Maharaj ji (1:14:23) Feelings about the future Mrs. Maneesha Sathe, one of the senior Kathak exponents of India, has been trained initially with Pandit Balasaheb Gokhale in Pune and later with none other than Kathak Maestro Nataraj Pandit Gopi Krishna ji in Mumbai. For the last 45 years, she has been running Maneesha Nrityalaya Trust in Pune, an institute dedicated to the field of Kathak dance. She has performed Kathak in many conferences and dance festivals in different parts of India, including the most renowned Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav, Shaniwarwada Dance Festival, Khajuraho Dance Festival, Lucknow Dance Festival, Kamakhya Festival - Guwahati, Nehru Centre - Mumbai, Tata Theatre - Mumbai, Dancejathre Bangalore etc. She has also performed in many countries including USA, Japan, China, Bahrain, Sweden etc., individually and also with her troupe. Her choreographies in Classical and Contemporary Kathak dance form have been revered by one and all in dance festivals of high esteem. She has won great renown for presenting Kathak along with Japanese Music. Maneesha Sathe and Mr. Yasuhito Takimoto- a Japanese musician and Taiko player- have given the most unforgettable fusion concerts over the last 25 years. “World Peace Art Festival”, “Divine Confluence” have been some of the recent programs presented through this international collaboration. Her collaborative choreographies are a wonderful blend of traditional Kathak, contemporary music and energetic Taiko playing. More than a hundred Indians, Chinese and Japanese artists have been a part of these events in India, Japan and China. She has also choreographed for Marathi Films like “Sarkarnama” and “Vaarsa Lakshmicha” and others. She has been awarded the Best Dance Director's awards (Maharashtra State award and Alpha TV award), while one has been record breaking hit in the history of Marathi Cinema. She is the recipient of many accolades like the Maharashtra State Cultural Award for the year 2006, Citadel Excellence award, Gaanvardhan's Vijaya Bhalerao Puraskar, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Shri Golwalkar Guruji Puraskar, Ajit Soman Smruti Puraskar, Shri Ashok Paranjape Puraskar, Pune Municipal Corporation's Shrimati Rohini Bhate Puraskar, to name just a few. Several of her students have been awarded scholarships and fellowships by CCRT and Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Govt. Of India. She is a guide for Ph.D. students in Pune University. Under her guidance, Mrs. Madhuri Apte has been awarded the first Ph.D in Kathak from Pune University. She is a visiting faculty and honorary Guru in institutions like the Centre for Performing Arts (Lalit Kala Kendra) - Pune University, Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Performing Arts Pune. She has recently curated and created an online course on Kathak for SWAYAM, the online education portal for Govt. of India. This unique syllabus-based course has been produced by EMMRC, Pune and Savitribai Phule Pune University. Maneesha Tai is known to be a highly sympathetic and generous teacher. She has given many young dancers to the Indian Dance field, several of whom are now performers and teachers in their own respect and settled in various parts of India as well as abroad. In 2018, Maneesha Tai presented a very unique production - Nritya Dhaara. It is a Kathak performance by four dancers of the Sathe family - Maneesha tai herself, her daughter Shambhavi Dandekar, her daughter-in-law Tejaswini and her granddaughter Sarveshwari. It is an extremely unique performance in the Kathak world and was performed in India and the USA. Her perseverance and dedication to the art is reflected in the success in this field, and her growing family of disciples all over the globe. She has been instrumental in keeping our ancient heritage alive and inspiring several generations to take forward this legacy of classical art. Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga

Episode Notes https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=507433370 https://www.annjalishah.com/ Annjali has discovered and learned Kathak dance with Sandhya Desai, in Kadamb Dance Institute, in Ahmedabad, in India. She has then trained under Sharmila Sharma in Paris and in Switzerland during private classes and collective workshops. She has created and toured differents shows in Switzerland and in India (Le Duel - 2011 à 2014, Lotus -2015, Gulzaar – 2016, Muskaan – 2017 à 2019, Nautanki – 2018, Yatra – 2019, Namak – 2020, Chandini & Roshni 2021). She is currently working to create a new show Krishna Katha. She has also presented solos in different occasions related to India (Embassy of India - BE, Museum Rietberg – ZH). Since 2008, Annjali is sharing her knowledge and teaching dance. She teaches every week indian dance classes in Ton sur Ton, in Neuchâtel and in Kulturfabrik, in Biel. She also gives private classes and workshops. (0:03:43) Making Notes for Students (0:06:55) Teaching dance in Bern (0:09:29) Identifying and connecting with dance (0:10:46) preparation done before class (0:13:34) Riyaz/Practice RItuals (0:15:14) Donning multiple hats (0:15:57) Support Systems/Grants in Switzerland (0:16:46) Process of Grantwriting (0:20:30) Building familiarity with the audience (0:23:21) Current Projects (0:26:31) Kathak Workshops (0:32:14) Process of Choreography (0:38:20) Showing up to dance vs "level" of dancing (0:42:05) Training from Kadamb (0:46:04) Learning from Sandhya Desai ji (0:52:36) Drawing Sharmila Sharma ji (0:57:07) What keeps you going? Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga

Episode Notes I'm Meher Kriti Nigam, a Kathak artist and a final year student of engineering. I study Electronics and Communication with a specialization in Biomedical field. Apart from my technical education, I've also attended 2 diplomas, in Kathak and Hindustani Vocals. I've fortunate enough to get trained under Smt. Leena Malakar (Jaipur Gharana) and Guru Pandit Divyang Vakil ji. My journey with Kathak when I was just 3-years-old. Over the years I've performed at various events across the country, from Indywood Film Festival in Hyderabad to performing for MNCs like NIIT Technologies Ltd. I've also won a number of competitions at both school and college level. The world has been nice to me and in the past 2 years I've got the opportunity to hold fundraising dance workshops for NGOs. I've also been a dance instructor at various NGOs and taught their children for free. I wish to pursue Arts and Cultural Management for my masters. With the world progressing, I believe Art, Technology and Commerce are no longer separate fields. We can advance so much by attaining knowledge in all fields and create masterpieces. Show Highlights (0:04:21) Working with Spicmacay (0:09:28) Running a Kathak club in VIT University (0:16:02) Auditioning process for the Dance Club (0:19:10) Brinigng about uniformity in movements (0:21:03) how a choregraphy comes together*- (0:26:03) What audiences like? (0:27:34) Performing in college fests/competitions (0:29:43) how Meher started dancing? (0:30:35) earliest memory (0:32:32) Kathak Training Smt Leena Malakar ji (0:34:43) Cultivating a habit of Riyaz (0:40:25) What is Meher leanring in Kathak at the moment (0:44:35) Taalvidya Classess (0:49:19) Getting over fear (0:51:24) Kathak on Reels (0:53:37) Gender Expression in Kathak (0:57:31) Future plans Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga

Episode Notes Founder and director of Nrityam - The Kathak Studio and a founding member of the Layom Institute of Kathak, Nirajkumar Solanki is an MA in Kathak (Alankaar) and and his Gurus include Pt Rajendra Gangani ji, Bode Gurji, and Rahim Sheikh ji. His major performances include Parush in Pune and Pryaas in Akola, Thane, and Pune. He's also a Senior Verbal Faculty and CRT (soft skills) trainer, equipped with a Master of Arts Degree in English Literature. (0:01:16) Coming back to Kathak (0:05:46) The logistics of returning to Kathak after a long break (0:09:53) Keeping a prolonged interest in Riyaz (0:12:53) Nrityam Kathak (0:16:57) Different Teaching (0:23:44) Finding time for Kathak for busy professionals (0:28:58) Interest in English Language and Kathak (0:34:44) Favorite Kathak books (0:39:27) Tips for getting into reading (0:42:50) The positve impact of reading (0:44:07) The highs and lows of being a male dancer (0:52:59) How to handle bullying (0:56:24) Progressive Ideas in Kathak (0:58:57) How does Kathak thrive in Pune? (1:02:52) Most memorable performance (1:07:02) The practicalities of making a full time career out of Kathak (1:12:19) Costume selection and design (1:16:53) Future Plans Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga

Show Highlights (0:01:44) Performing at the Chekov Festival in Russia (0:08:20) How productions are started? (0:09:34) Choreographic investigation (0:13:15) Developing a good sense of music (0:15:11) The importance of writing things down (0:20:30) The meaning of discipline (0:24:45) Work with Spic Macay (0:31:32) How working with Spic Macay has improved Gauri di's dance (0:33:04) Dealing With Unruly Audiences (0:36:15) The importance of playing sports for dance (0:38:51) How Gauri di teaches differently? (0:40:49) How to deal with Students Who are not practicing (0:42:34) Bringing up the next generation of teachers (0:43:35) When Students pick up mannerisms (0:45:02) Gauri Diwakar Sanskriti Foundation (0:49:53) Joy in Kathak (0:53:23) Time Management in Dance (0:59:34) Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (1:06:34) Performing in front of 10,000 people Gauri Diwakar's elegant, graceful moves, striking facial expressions, along with her powerful presence on the stage, leaves her audiences spellbound. In 2008 she was awarded 'Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar' by the Sangeet Natak Akademi- India's national academy for music , dance and drama. Her journey started from Jamshedpur where she learned under the watchful eyes of Ms Sumita Chowdhary. She further honed her skills under the tutelage of the renowned Gurus, Pandit Birju Maharaj and Shri Jai Kishan Maharaj at the national capital's Kathak Kendra. After graduating with distinction from Kathak Kendra, Gauri further perfected her skills under renowned exponent of Kathak, Ms Aditi Mangaldas. Gauri is also passing on her skills by training young students under her own trust. " Gauri Diwakar Sanskriti Foundation- Sarvatra Nrityam " and thus helping to keep the age old tradition alive. Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga

Episode Notes Smita Rawal Alves – Smita has been dancing for over 30 years, having toured across the US and Canada, with her primary training and Guru Smt. Anjani Ambegaokar. In recent years she continues to learn kathak under Vidushi Smt. Durga Arya ji and extensive taal vidya studies under Pandit Divyang Vakil ji. As much as she loves to dance and tour, after about a 5-6 year hiatus to raise her own children, Smita's current aspiration is to share the beautiful tradition with others to emphasize the value and relevance of Indian Classical arts in society today. Since 2015, Smita runs her own Kathak school: Bhakti Bhav Dance, teaching classes to all ages of students across Orange County, CA. Kathak is the schools' platform to nurture and encourage students to appreciate musicality, movement, rhythms, self-expression, discipline, and the richness of the cultural history which Kathak stems from. Smita especially loves seeing the students become more confident and self-sufficient dancers who can take what they learn and apply it in their own way and in their own expression. She hopes to help students and audiences alike, find joy through the experience of Kathak dance. (0:03:16) Dance as an offering (0:04:41) Who does the offering of Kathak go to? (0:08:43) Bhakti Bhav Dance Academy (0:12:53) Teaching kids with a busy schedule (0:17:43) Retaining students after High School (0:22:00) Starting Taalvidya (0:26:04) The impact of taalvidya on Kathak (0:30:04) Working with Guru Durga Arya ji (0:38:23) Riyaaz Rituals (0:42:56) Finding balance in Life (0:44:16) What do Smita di's students like about them (0:52:05) Work with Nakui Dev Mahajan and Mira the Royal Detective (0:56:59) Future Projects Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga