Kathak Taraana Academy-Chennai

Kathak presentation by Taraana Academy

Kathak presentation by Taraana Academy

WHAT: A Kathak presentation celebrating the music of India by Chennai-based Taraana Academy

WHERE: Chinmaya Heritage Centre

2, 13th Avenue, Harrington Road, Chetpet, Chennai.

WHEN: Saturday, 15th September, 2018; 6pm onward





Kathak Taraana Stills

To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the Taraana Academy of Kathak Dance, a Chennai based organization works towards insinuating the practice, understanding and appreciation of Kathak, is organising an evening of Kathak that pays homage to the music of India.

“The idea for this,” says its founder, Shritha Baskar, “came from the warm-up sessions during regular practice where peppy numbers – Bollywood, pop, Sufi and folk – always caught the attention of my young students.” Keeping that as inspiration, Shritha visualised a production that attempts to not merely celebrate the potential and possibilities of Kathak but also “educate the audience on the malleability of Kathak supporting various Indian genres of music”.

Kathak Taraana Chennai

The event opens with Antarang, a Kathak presentation that traverses an array of genres – Sufi/ghazal, folk, Carnatic and Hindustani music, cinema and even Indian electronic music. The presentation will showcase nuanced skills of abhinaya, a multitude of facial expressions and finely honed gestures by students who gracefully adapt their training in Kathak to these music forms. This will be followed by a presentation of Shudh (pure) Kathak with live musicians. 

Kathak Taraana Academy-Chennai



TARAANA ACADEMY OF KATHAK DANCE

Shritha Baskar who currently trains under Kathak legends, Sri Birju Maharaj and Smt Saswati Sen, took the suggestion of Sri Birju Maharaj over a casual conversation to proliferate Kathak by starting a school in Chennai and promoting her passion. “You see,” she says, “Kathak was not really a popular dance form down south until the movie Vishwaroopam. This was five years ago.” Since then, Shritha’s brainchild Taraana has come a long way.

Built with an intent to promote this classical dance form in a social and educational context, Taraana strives to develop a systematic and structural dance and educational training programme under her guidance and mentorship. The institute currently trains about 200+ students from the city in this dance form.

SHRITHA BASKAR





Kathak Taraana Academy-Chennai

Shritha Baskar started training in Kathak at the tender age of five under Guru Smt. Ketaki Hazra, who herself is a disciple of Smt. Bela Arnab. Being trained in the Jaipur and Lucknow Gharana of Kathak, Shritha went on to earn for herself a Senior Diploma in Kathak Dance from the Surabharati Sangeet Parishad, Kolkata. She has several performances to her credit which include regular recitals for the Diplomatic Corps of various countries, at the Indian Embassy and the Festival of India around regions of the Arabian Gulf. Shritha also taught Kathak and contemporary dance to the students of the Dubai Centre for Special Needs and Special Needs Families for three consecutive years. Her work with the differently-abled won her many more accolades in the United Arab Emirates. Since 2011, she has been regularly attending workshops and sessions conducted by Pandit Birju Maharaj and Saswati Sen in Delhi. Tickets for the event are priced at Rs300 and seating is on a first-come-first-served basis . For more details, write to rajesh.aalaap@gmail.com or call 98410 07360

Kathak Taraana

Kathak Presentation

Kathak Presentation