CHENNAI: Chennai is the hub of Bharatanatyam. Kathak needs more attention and a lot of work is required to promote this art. It’s difficult to find accompanists from the city for dance concerts. However, I feel excited to see the interest and inclination of people towards Kathak,” said Kathak artiste Neha Banerjee, a senior disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj and the artistic director of Kathak Darpan Trust.
For the last five years, the Trust has been keeping the age-old dance form up and alive in the city. From conducting workshops which feature various dance exponents from across the country to now, setting up a dedicated dance studio — Neha has been on a perpetual quest to build a strong platform for Kathak. On Sunday, the danseuse launched Kathak Darpan Institute — a wing of Kathak Darpan Trust, in Neelankarai.
Ragini Maharaj, grandaughter of Pandit Birju Maharaj presided as the chief guest of the event. The dancer who specialises in the Lucknow Gharana presented a tribute to Lord Krishna followed by a lecture on footwork and hand techniques in the dance form. “This is my first time in Chennai. It’s great to see so many takers for Kathak. As dancers, we want all dance forms and styles to be treated equally. Dancers have learned from my grandfather and taken this art form to different parts of the globe. This institute will be a great place for aspirants to hone their moves,” said Ragini. The idea of the institute is to bring Hindustani music to Chennai and make the work of Kathak practitioners easier. Neha will be conducting classes for different batches of students every day. She will also be roping in dance exponents in the field for workshops regularly.
“Kathak Darpan Trust was started in Mumbai. This is my first institute in Chennai. The institute offers a full certificate course in Kathak,” said Neha. Address: No 321, First floor, Sri Kapaleeswarar Nagar, Neelankarai. For details, call: 9833777973