Sonali will be performing a traditional solo at the Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, CA, on July 20.

When did you begin your study of kathak with Chhandam?
I was 4.5 or so when I began studying kathak with Chhandam. My parents were searching for a place where I could get involved in dance, and they came across Chhandam in a newspaper, I think. I started at the Berkeley branch and there weren’t many kids, but as time went on, more kids joined.

When did you join the CDYC?
I joined CDYC in 2003 during their second year of operation, while I was in 3^rd grade. I was 9 years old at the time.

How has your study with Chhandam and CDYC most affected your life?
Out of all the activities I do, kathak has been something I really do for myself. The Chhandam community has watched me grow up and it’s been an amazing experience having that as a support group.

I can definitely relate to all of the Nine Principles in my life. Through kathak, you see the results of what you put into it. As a young person, that’s really satisfying. With school, you can’t always see that. With kathak, you put in the work and you see the results. It’s given me focus and it’s really helped me realize that if I want to see results, I have to work for it. It’s given me perspective and helps me in all aspects of my life– at school, with public speaking – the upaj (improvisation) aspect is a good preparation for all that.

How has your study with Dadaji most affected your life?
I’ve grown up with Dadaji in a way. He’s been there for every major event in my life – and that’s a really amazing thing.

He’s able to see your potential regardless of who you are. I am very lucky to have him in my life and to have had that experience. I didn’t always believe in my own potential, but he did. He inspires so much confidence and he pushes you to reach that potential. It’s such a valuable thing to have, especially while you’re growing up and coming into adulthood.

And he doesn’t just tell you to go in a certain direction. He first makes sure he can do what he’s asking you to do.

Dadaji also changes his teaching approach, his style, the topics he talks about in class depending on how old we are, how mature we are and even where we are in our lives. He forces us to think about things that are bigger than kathak early on in our lives, and I love that.

You’ll be graduating high school this year. Where will you go to college?
I’m going to University of Washington, Seattle. I’m going to study Biomedical Engineering. I really love that there’s a strong arts community in Seattle. I’d love to ideally take advantage of that and maybe eventually teach some kathak workshops.

What advice do you have for all the young dancers who are studying kathak with Chhandam or considering it?
I would say take advantage of every opportunity you get. There’s so much room for growth. Believe in where your practice can take you. For a long time, I didn’t believe how important having my own riyaaz could be. Once I did establish a routine, I was amazed. You must believe that your riyaaz can take you places. Find something you can be passionate about and just go for it.

What is the most valuable thing an organization like Chhandam can give to the youth in its community, whether they are dancers or not?
Chhandam provides a forum for people to help preserve kathak and to connect with one another. It’s for people to come together and help preserve this art form for future generations. Chhandam is not only about dance, it’s for people who want to learn more about history and culture and that’s unique.

Ritesh Das (left) and Joanna De Souza (right)

By Rupal Shah

Rina Mehta, Director of the Los Angeles branch of Chhandam and a member of the San Francisco-based Chitresh Das Dance Company, recently traveled to Toronto and Boston for a series of workshops, lecture-demonstrations and a solo performance.

As part of TIKAT, Toronto International Kathak and Tabla Week, Rina held a lecture-demonstration, within a three-part workshop series with Creative Director Joanna De Souza of MDO and Artistic Director and Composer Ritesh Das of Toronto Tabla Ensemble. The first was a tabla recitation workshop; the second was a kathak workshop; and the third was a combined tabla recitation and kathak workshop.

Gretchen Hayden

Rina’s Boston performance was presented in conjunction with Chhandika (Pandit Das’ additional school in Boston), headed by Artistic Director Gretchen Hayden, who studied intensively with Pt. Das in the 1970s.

Both of these experiences provided a wonderful opportunity to engage in a cultural and artistic exchange between Chhandam, and MDO, Chhandika, and Toronto Tabla Ensemble. “There is an international kathak community that has been established in these places, which made me realize that there is a place for kathak beyond what we think – there is a bigger market for what we are trying to do. Guruji laid the groundwork for that, and Gretchendi and Joannadi built these local communities based on what they learned from him. I can go there to perform and there is an audience for it,” said Rina.

Though all three artistic directors have Pt. Das’ influence and teachings in common, each has contributed much to the preservation and growth of kathak and Indian classical music in the U.S. and North America. “Joannadi, Gretchendi,and Riteshji have been working in Toronto and Boston for many years. Each has stayed true to his or her tradition and training, while exploring and creating. So the really exciting thing about the lecture-demonstration in Toronto was that it included a fairly educated audience in terms of what kathak is,” Rina said. “What is so inspiring for me is to see that level of awareness within their communities, to see what they’ve built essentially on their own.”

What seems most evident to everyone involved with this experience is that the need for dialogue and exchange between all is strong. “We are fundamentally from the same place, trying to work toward the same end. A lot is to be gained on all sides if we work together and seize opportunities to engage, encourage and support each other.”

Seibi Lee, Chitresh Dance Company principal dancer, senior teacher, and co-director of the Chhandam School of Kathak, has been accepted for the position of Artist-in-Residence, a year-long program at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center in Oakland, California, from October 2012-October 2013. This exciting opportunity will incorporate lecture/demonstrations, a four-week introductory class session, and a number of performances throughout 2013, including the Harvest Moon Festival and a full traditional kathak solo. During this time, she will also focus on the creation of a new work, Houyi and Chang’e, an ancient Chinese story told through the North Indian classical dance form of kathak. This new work will be performed at least twice as a solo.

Houyi and Chang’e brings together certain aspects of Seibi’s life: her in-depth training as a kathak dancer and western classical musician, and her Asian background and cultural heritage. This new work will essentially remain true to the kathak tradition and Seibi will be working under the guidance of Pt. Das. The newly composed music will maintain traditional rhythmic structures and taal, while integrating instruments of both cultures, including the Indian instruments sitar and tabla, and the Chinese melodic instruments ehru and ghuzheng.

Where this new work will diverge from kathak is in the story itself. Traditionally, kathak involves various stories within the Indian epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other tales of Hindu gods and goddesses. For her new work, Seibi spent time delving into Chinese mythology and folklore, the importance of the moon, and the lunar calendar. In particular, the tale of Houyi and Chang’e was significant.

“There are some strong recurring motifs that appear in ageless stories, such as those in the Mahabharata, that are also reflected in the story of Houyi and Chang’e. Both contain lessons about actions and consequences — loss that can result from acting without thinking things through — and a yearning to return to the place you lost. What you achieve depends on the choices you make in the course of your life,” Seibi explains. “These are themes that I felt would translate well into the storytelling aspect of kathak.”

“The desire to explore my own cultural heritage has deepened over many years of studying kathak with Pandit Chitresh Das. Guruji (Pandit Das) challenges us to respect and explore each of our own unique cultural histories. When I was growing up, I didn’t identify very strongly with my Asian heritage because there was no community around me. The irony is that in embracing a dance form from another culture, I am finding ways to pay homage to my own rich heritage.”

For Seibi to be able to take kathak in this direction means that she must first be established and anchored within the tradition. She spent many years working toward that through the innovative teaching and formidable training of Pt. Das. The core of that entails a deep understanding of rhythm and timing within the framework of kathak; a command of kathak’s nuances and subtleties; strength and stamina built over engaged daily practice sessions and intense training with Pt. Das; extensive knowledge of the history of kathak and its influences; and self-discovery — development of abhinaya (dramatic aspects of kathak) and her individualized style within the tradition as well as an introspective self-exploration.

“Guruji sees each student’s potential, regardless of who they are or where they come from. His ability to challenge each one of us as kathak dancers while seeing our unique strengths and weaknesses is unparalleled. At the same time, he encourages each of us to be connected to our own heritage, whatever that may be.”

This residency and the process of creating her new work not only provides Seibi with a tremendous opportunity to connect kathak with her identity as an Asian American, it also opens doors that can lead to stronger cultural connections and understanding between two communities that may not necessarily have – or take — opportunities to do so otherwise.

“Seibi has graced the Oakland Asian Cultural Center with her performances on many occasions and through this residency project, will be able to connect our audiences with both Chinese mythology and South Asian artistry,” said Herna Cruz-Louie, Program Manager at Oakland Asian Cultural Center.

 UPCOMING EVENTS WITH SEIBI

Thursday, December 6, 2012
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
FREE for all ages and levels

REGISTER ONLINE: www.oacc.cc/programs/classes/register.html

Thursdays, January 17 – February 14, 2013
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Registration begins December 1, 2012

Seibi will give a short introductory series of kathak classes starting Thursday, January 17, 2013. This is a five- week series of 1.5-hour classes during which the students learn the basic footwork and movements of kathak. The workshop will culminate in a short performance opportunity at OACC’s Lunar New Year Festival, Saturday, February 16, 2013.

To learn more about Seibi’s residency, classes and workshops, visit http://www.oacc.cc/programs/artist-in-residence.html

By Sneha Patkar, Age 15

On Saturday September 29^th, I had the honor to perform in the Alafia Dance Showcase in the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) along with two fellow Chhandam Youth Dance Company members, Mayuka and Atmika Sarukkai. The Alafia Dance Showcase was held to pay homage to the esteemed Valerie Watson, who had taught Tap, Jazz, African Haitian, Ballroom, and Latin American Social Dance at CCSF for the last thirty years. Throughout her career as a professional dancer, she performed locally, nationally, and internationally with the Harambe Dance Ensemble, a Pan African dance company. Ms. Watson is currently the director and a choreographer for the Alafia Dance Ensemble, and she continues to inspire us with her tireless commitment, dedication, and preservation of multifarious dance forms.

The program began with an enthralling performance by the Alafia Dance Ensemble, and they captivated the audience with their incredible energy, dynamic drum beat music, and vivid traditional costumes. Next to perform were the Taxedo Dancers, Kathe Burick and Nicole Gray, who endeared themselves the audience members with their charming tap performance on the song “Time to Tax the Rich.”

Before we knew it Mariella Marales, a long time friend of Ms. Watson announced that we were up next. Charlotte Moraga, the director of the Chhandam Youth Dance Company, gave a short introduction about Kathak and then we began with a demonstration of “Kathak Yoga.”  Kathak Yoga is an innovation by our Guruji, Pandit Chitresh Das, and founder of the Chhandam School of Kathak. In the Chhandam School of Kathak we learn more than just dance – we learn about our heritage and history, philosophy, and math. In Kathak Yoga, we are doing organic math with our bodies! We are reciting, playing manjira (hand cymbals), and completing complex mathematical patterns with our feet. After Kathak Yoga, we performed Malkauns Tarana, a dynamic piece which highlights the swift pirouettes, intricate footwork, and grace of Kathak Dance. When we struck our final poses after taking the last sequence of pirouettes the audience roared and I was overjoyed that they had loved the performance.

Later, I had the opportunity to talk to some of the other dancers and I found it amazing that there was so much our art forms shared in common. One group ”Las  Bomberas de la Bahia”  performed a dance form called the “Bomba,” in which the dancer was purely improvising as she became one with the spirit of the captivating drum beat. The dancer swiftly moved her skirt and improvised various patterns of footwork to express the atmosphere of a storm. After the dancer would complete a pattern of footwork, the drummer would try to imitate the same pattern on the drums. Improvisation is an important aspect of Kathak dance, and I found it interesting to see how both dances shared a similar element – a spontaneous and exhilarating exchange between the dancer and drummer.

Ms. Valerie Watson has inspired me with her dedication to preserving dance forms around the world and it is wonderful to see how she has kept the art of dance alive, passing on the technique and passion to her students. It was exciting to learn about various ethnic dances and we had an enjoyable time, united by a universal rhythm and a passion for dance.

Twice a year, the Chhandam School of Kathak holds a ceremony, in which students receive their Ghungroo, or bells, for the first time.  This is a milestone in the study of Kathak dance.  Receiving ghungroo is an honor and a privilege – it urges students to strive for excellence and commitment to their own personal development through riyaz (practice).  Each student’s ghungroo is blessed by Pandit Chitresh Das and presented to them.  Leading up to Chhandam’s Fall 2012 Ghungroo Ceremony, Chhandam Youth Dance Company members Mayuka and Atmika Sarukkai, share their thoughts on receiving their ghungroo for the first time.

By Mayuka Sarukkai, Age 15

Four years ago, I remember holding a string of bells before me, weighing them in my arms, and feeling immense pride at being able to call them my own. I remember my nervousness as I watched the procession of new ghungroo recipients receive their individual blessings. I remember the moment when Dadaji took a piece of sweet between his fingers and placed it between my lips. I remember feeling a powerful connection to something much larger than myself ― little did I know that I stood on the verge of discovering a new-found respect and appreciation for the vastness of an art form that would forever change my outlook on life.

Ghungroos symbolize a deep connection between the dancer and the dance; perhaps that relationship is a result of the time and effort every dancer must invest into the ghungroo-stringing process: to thread each bell onto the string, to tie each knot with precision, to count and recount the number of bells, to tend to each blistered finger. . . I know that the hard work involved in stringing the ghungroos was not only a gratifying experience; it also meant the production of a tangible object that embodies the incredible joy — and the practice and determination — involved in deciding I was ready to take it upon myself to study dance at a more serious level.

Receiving my ghungroos marked a new milestone in my study of kathak dance ― the bells carry the weight of an important responsibility that was being passed into my hands to carry on a legacy of appreciation, preservation, and promotion of the arts. Every time I wind my bells around my leg before dancing is a reminder of that responsibility and of the enormous privilege I enjoy in being a part of that legacy. The ghungroo ceremony itself was a testament to that connection with a heritage that spans generations and carries a significance that extends far beyond the individual dancer.  Four years after receiving my ghungroos, I know I am still far from fully understanding the full extent of the impact of this legacy; but I do know that the lessons I’ve learned in these years will live with me for a lifetime.

 By Atmika Sarukkai, Age 11

Mehta to travel to India to research the impact of Kathak dance

The Chitresh Das Dance Company is pleased to announce that principal dancer Rina Mehta has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholars Grant. Mehta will travel to Mumbai in February 2013 for four months to research how Kathak dance can empower marginalized young girls and women and transform their lives for the better.

Mehta is a disciple of the internationally renowned Kathak master Pandit Chitresh Das, one of the most dynamic and far-reaching artists to emerge from modern India. A committed guru, Das is the founder of the Chitresh Das Dance Company, a company celebrated for its mastery of the technical and dramatic aspects of Kathak dance.  Das is also the founder of the Chhandam School of Kathak dance, one of the largest Indian classical dance institutions in the world with nine branches throughout the US as well as schools in Kolkata and Mumbai. A creative force and an award-winning performer, choreographer and composer, Das is also a foremost advocate of arts as a vehicle for service to society, having founded several programs worldwide that bring Kathak dance into the lives of underprivileged youth.

While in India Mehta will work in partnership with Chhandam Nritya Bharati, Das’ Mumbai-based school, to explore how Kathak dance, taught in the Guru-Shishya Parampara (tradition), can facilitate the awakening of one’s consciousness and for women, the awakening of Shakti, that divine and creative feminine power which according to Hinduism moves through the universe. Mehta will look at how this awakening can subsequently impact psychosocial indicators such as self-esteem, body image, confidence and social integration.

A student of women’s health at UC Berkeley, Mehta spent more than a decade working in reproductive health clinics and women’s organizations in an effort to understand and facilitate women’s empowerment. But it was her experience as a student and performer of Kathak dance, under the mentorship and guidance of Pandit Das that led Mehta to discover her own power. “As his disciple, I am pushed everyday – physically, emotionally, spiritually to achieve those things that might’ve seemed impossible, to shed those self-concepts and mental pitfalls that limit learning, growth and evolution, to awaken my consciousness and realize my potential to the fullest,” said Mehta.

In one of her early trips to India with Pandit Das, Mehta accompanied and assisted him in teaching Kathak dance to daughters of sex workers in the red light districts of Kolkata. Mehta says, “I began to see in these young women a fundamental shift in consciousness. I would describe it as an awakening. At first this shift was visible on the dance floor. And then, they became increasingly eager to stay after class and share their stories.  They began to speak of their lives in the red light district – of the sexual abuse and violence that they live with everyday and of their hopes of getting out.  They spoke of their dreams to be teachers, doctors and now dancers.”

These are among the many experiences that have inspired Mehta to pursue this research perfectly situated at the nexus of public health, development, feminism, dance, art and spirituality.  The ultimate goal is that Mehta’s research will lay the groundwork for the development of replicable programmatic models that utilize dance and the arts along with mentorship as a strategy for empowering marginalized young women.

About the Fulbright Program

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.” With this goal as a starting point, the Fulbright Program has provided almost 310,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program sends approximately 1,100 American scholars and professionals per year to approximately 125 countries, where they lecture and/or conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields.

About the Chitresh Das Dance Company

The Chitresh Das Dance Company is comprised of dancers whose abilities exemplify Chitresh Das’ emphasis on the technical, graceful and dramatic aspects of Kathak dance. Principal Company members have become established artists in their own right, performing internationally to great acclaim. Through the choreographic vision of Chitresh Das comes work that is evocative and powerful, bringing both the richness of ancient India and a fiery, contemporary sensibility.

Dancer Rina Mehta began her study of Kathak under Pandit Chitresh Das in 2000. Since joining the Chitresh Das Dance Company (CDDC) in 2006 she has performed in such critically acclaimed productions as Pancha Jati, Shabd & Sita Haran. She received the Alliance for California Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant and twice been nominated for an Isadora Duncan Award for Company performance as a part of the Chitresh Das Dance Company. She has performed at such prestigious venues as REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/Cal Arts Theater), Meany Hall for Performing Arts (University of Washington), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, UCLA’s World Festival of Sacred Music, Tata Theater/NCPA in Mumbai, and the Shaniwarwada Dance Festival in Pune. Her original repertoire works include Moghul Court and Chandanbala.

Rina is founder and director of Chhandam’s newest branch in Los Angeles, California and Executive Producer of UPAJ, a documentary on Pt. Chitresh Das’ groundbreaking collaboration with tap star Jason Samuels Smith, India Jazz Suites.  She received her Master’s in Pubic Health from the University in California, Berkeley with a specialization in Women’s Health.

Photo by Margo Moritz

We awoke to the sound of a conch shell being blown at five thirty each morning and walked to the studio in the cool semi-darkness. There we would spend the next three to four hours practicing footwork as the sun rose and the day warmed to as much a hundred degrees.

Starting with slow heel-work, the speed and complexity of our footwork would increase until the sweat was flying and minds were racing to keep up. On spur of the moment, Dadaji might decide to introduce a type of footwork that was totally new to many of us.  As one student pointed out, the immersion experience made it feel much more natural to absorb a new style of footwork into mind and body, which was an exciting revelation to her.  As we all fed off of the energy that was produced by Dadaji and by one another, the exhaustion faded into exhilaration and the impossible began to feel possible. Sometimes, as we stopped a moment to stretch, Dadaji would break into amazingly fast and complex footwork compositions or mesmerizingly subtle abhinaya, and we would all just watch in awe and try to take it in as much as possible.

Photo by: Ritesh Das

Following the early morning footwork session, we would prepare breakfast together and then continue dancing for a couple more hours, branching out beyond footwork into chakkars and compositions, and after lunch we would have a class in Gat Bhao, or recitation. One of the highlights of retreat for me was arriving on Thursday afternoon and joining right in on a class that was practicing Holi Tarana. We were asked, as an exercise, to pair off and take turns portraying the playful push-and-pull between Krishna and Radha. It was exciting to work on improvisation and expression, and watch and learn as each couple presented what they had come up with. Another highlight was the recitation class led by Dadaji’s brother, Ritesh-Da, one afternoon. We learned several fascinating compositions, and listened, enthralled, to his lightning-fast recitation.

Group discussions are a big part of retreat, and after each class and dinner we would ask questions and talk. We inquired about and discussed such subjects as the history of kathak and Chhandam School, where we are now, and where we’re going. We talked about why we chose to be here, and how that answer might change over time, and we asked Dadaji about his personal history and heard stories we’d never heard before, as well as ones we had heard, but in a new context.

This retreat was special in that we were joined by students from Boston and Toronto, as well as both Northern and Southern California. It was wonderful to meet and connect with people from far away who are passionate about kathak dance in the same ways that we are. I come away from retreat with new friends, new questions to think about, and new skills to practice. Each retreat I’ve been to leaves me with new motivation and love for this amazing art form, as well as gratitude for the opportunity to study with such skillful and brilliant artists.

View more photos of the retreat

On June 28, 2012, CDDC joined several other world class dance companies at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts – as part of the 30th Annual National Dance/USA Conference.  CDDC dancer, Labonee Mohanta, shares a few thoughts from the performance!

By Labonee Mohanta

I am writing a note to relay a bit of the experience we had, performing at the National Dance/USA Conference.  Our Executive Director, Celine Schein, who was on the host committee of this conference, worked hard to put Chitresh Das Dance Company alongside the elite, mainstream professional dance companies in the nation.  The 30th Annual National Dance/USA Conference presented us in ‘Shabd‘, which blew the minds of all the dancers & scholars filling the seats, as they personally witnessed Pt. Chitresh Das’ groundbreaking innovation of Kathak Yoga.  The packed Novellus Theater was speechless as we performed with no accompanying musicians and only our feet, bells, vocals, and harmonium could be heard.  When we ended with singing the lehera and dancing ongoing chakkars, the audience burst out in an uproar of screaming and applause!  The audience was taken away by the fact that we were the dancer, percussionist, vocalist, and musician all at the same time.

We were very honored to be able to share Pt. Das’ revolutionizing work with the elite, mainstream dance world in the US, and having an opportunity to create history!

Here is a quick recap on the Chhandam School Summer Camp we had in Fremont the last two weeks!  We taught a very long and in-depth summer camp two weeks in a row where students were immersed in the training of the classical art.  The children started long sessions of footwork, exercises, and technique in the morning, followed by gaining a deeper understanding of taal & rhythm, music, singing, and storytelling through dance in the afternoon.  They also increased their knowledge of history and philosophy of India, and ended each week with a culminating performance demonstrating some of this knowledge, along with the dance and music they had been intensely training in all week!

Some of the highlights of the performances were the children singing Gayatri Mantra and Shlokas, performing the groundbreaking technique of Kathak Yoga beginning with children age 5, singing and dancing Shyama Sundara and Raghu Pathi Raghava.  They also presented their research on the history of Kathak dance, symbolism of the Indian flag, names of Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna, characteristics and attributes of Goddess Saraswati, and the 9 principles of Chhandam.

Summer Camp was a deeper study and inspiring experience for the children, and rewarding for the teachers to help the students improve and grow in one week’s time.  Many students were sad when it was over!  Very grateful parents commented on how Summer Camp gives students access to their heritage of India, while empowering their children and giving them more confidence to be who they are.  We are really proud of all the Summer Camp participants and are looking forward to the final week of Summer Camp next month in Mountain View!

 Register your children for the last 2012 Summer Camp session – August 13 to 17 !

Photos by Shyam Gooty