The very premier organization for dance education in California, the California Dance Education Association (CDEA), organizes a Dance Festival every year to gather a variety of dance and performing artists from all over the United States to showcase and support Dance art and education.
This year’s festival took place at the El Molino Performing Arts Center in Forestville, California, for two days, the 21st and 22nd of April.
Paramita Bhattacharyya was the only Indian Classical Dance ‘Kathak’ artist this year who was invited by CDEA from the Southern California area to present the performing art form of Indian ‘Kathak Dance’ and bring awareness about the particular genre of Indian Dance.
The audience visualized the amazing performance of her presented in the fast rhythmic format of ‘Tarana,’ where the music is derived from the composition of the world-famous sitar maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar.
Paramita’s expertise in the Kathak Dance firmly showed the fast footwork and smooth spins, which are two of the most important aspects of the dance form. The audience was mesmerized by the grace of the dance form and at the same time was enthralled with every posture taken in the performance.
Paramita is a trained Kathak artist in the Lucknow Gharana dance style from India.
When asked about her feeling regarding the presentation on such a great platform, Paramita mentioned, “I always remember my gurus, the teachers, when I perform and try to justify every bit of the dance posture with rhythm to represent the Kathak dance form in a perfect way so that Kathak is represented in its right format to the audience.”
Kathak is a North Indian classical dance form that originated in the Mughal courts of the 16th century. It is a narrative style of dance that tells stories through intricate footwork, hand gestures, and facial expressions. The art form is steeped in Indian cultural history and often depicts mythological stories or scenes from everyday life. Kathak is known for its fluidity and grace, with dancers often incorporating spins, jumps, and complex footwork into their performances.
It is a highly technical and demanding dance form, requiring years of training and practice to master. Despite its traditional roots, Kathak has continued to evolve and adapt to modern times, making it a dynamic and living art form that continues to captivate audiences around the world.
The Dance festival also received dazzling performances of 30 different groups of dancers, both in solo and group presentations and that made it a very successful dance festival where the local community, dance students, and next-generation dance enthusiasts received a glimpse of a variety of presentations of professional artists and felt the importance of dance education.
The mission of CDEA for DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) was undoubtedly fulfilled when the audience visualized different genres of dance art.
For those interested in learning more about the Kathak dance form, Paramita Bhattacharyya’s presentation at the California Dances Festival provided a wonderful opportunity to experience its beauty and grace. The festival itself is a testament to the importance of dance education and the variety of performing arts available throughout California. For more information on the California Dance Education Association and its mission, visit its website at https://www.cdeadances.org/
