Episode Notes

Sonali Loomba completed her post graduate in Human Resource Management from India and worked at a corporate sector in Bangalore for over 6 years before she decided to quite and completely dedicate her self to kathak as full time performing artist. During her college years she started learning Kathak which was in 2006 under the guidance of Gurus (teachers) Hari and Chethana from Bangalore, India. She believes Indian Classical Dance is like an ocean which is limitless. The deeper you dive in the more beauty you see of the form. It can take up-to several years to even call oneself a master of this art form. She also visits India often to advance in her studies of Kathak under Gurus.. She moved to Utah,USA in 2017 from India and the first performance she gave was at the Krishna Temple in Salt lake city at one of their events and was really appreciated for bringing Kathak to Utah. She has also benefited largely from this form in terms of developing strong mental and physical health because of the complexities and the various body movements this dance form has to offer. Thus she started offering kathak classes to the community because an art form like this needs to be preserved and promoted, She went on to establish her dance school in Utah, Kaladharaa Dance School which focuses on imparting the nuances of this ancient form to others in the community as a way of passing it down to generations to come. As a performer, She has given numerous dance presentations as a soloist in India and USA. She has performed in leading dance festivals like Hampi Utsav (Hampi, India), Brahmotsav (Tirupathi, India), North American Festival of Colors ( Utah, USA and Vegas, USA) ,Living traditions ( Utah, USA) , World Folk fest ( Utah, USA), Utah Arts festival ( Utah, USA) to name a few. She has recently presented kathak at the 2019 TEDx Salt Lake City.

Publications: https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dance/kathak-dancer-sonali-loomba-is- now-propagating-the-classical-form-in-the-us/article28328289.ece

https://www.udayavani.com/supplements/women/kathak-kalravaram-in-foreign-land

https://www.thestatesman.com/entertainment/music/sonali-loomba-going-beyond- cultural-barriers-with-kathak- 1502747430.html?fbclid=IwAR2u_YFQ8YTfZ5FmPWww38KmBoFEGTsjPqxvDcoiiYIevN5 ngtUTPwx4fmM

https://catalystmagazine.net/aarambh-an-enchanting-night-with-indian-classical- dance/?fbclid=IwAR0_EfP_qtDUrw_s7wDpsPxVku-WCUBoSYy0kJgqx9x- 7Y6VAmnIJOinG8I

http://lovedancemore.org/reviews/2019/8/24/sugar-space-presents-sample- tracks?fbclid=IwAR0HuOxFWzofFx0_iSvpRS0A7WY3iJM86-lnDtdJ-roZ2encCvIlc1cq4-k

Show Highlights

(0:03:12) How Teaching makes one a better performer

(0:10:48) Preparation for each class

(0:13:42) Making of a performer

(0:24:07) The importance of a guru

(0:36:12) How to decide if their guru is right for them?

(0:40:31) Dealing with students quitting

(0:48:56) Learning Hindustani Classical Music

(0:53:58) The need to learn Taalvidya

(1:00:45) TedX at Salt Lake City

(1:04:10) Most memorable performances

Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga