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SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

(0:02:34) Moving to India from UK

(0:06:56) Transitioning to working and learning in India

(0:17:42) How do you perform for a learned audience

(0:14:17) Doing Kathak away from Delhi

(0:16:26) Kathak in Kolkata

(0:18:53) How have your productions evolved over time?

(0:21:49) The wish to start presenting more traditional work

(0:25:18) Dealing with conflicts during collaborations

(0:27:07) Handling ticket sales/costs/logistics

(0:29:53) The evolution of tradition

(0:32:08) Doing camera based work

(0:40:33) Impact and Legacy

BIO

Anurekha Ghosh is one of the finest internationally acclaimed BBC award-winning Indian Classical Kathak dancers. Her technique and style is a combination of “tradition and modernity”. She has shown her excellence in Choreography be it in the classical or contemporary genre.

She has been trained in classical Kathak dance, specializing in the Lucknow Gharana since her childhood under the guidance of Smt. Meera Majumdar and Smt. Mousumi Sen in Calcutta. Anurekha moved to the United Kingdom in 1992 and took further training in Kathak with Guru Pratap Pawar. She received extensive training under the renowned Kathak exponent Nahid Siddiqui from Pakistan. She received advanced ‘talim’ from Tabla exponent Pt. Dinanath Mishra of Benaras Gharana. She is fortunate to receive in-depth guidance and ‘talim’ from the finest Kathak exponent and Guru Smt. Durga Arya.

She learnt the art of Kalaripayattu, a South Indian Martial Arts at CVN Kalari, Kerala. She has trained in vocal music from Smt. Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta in Kolkata. Anurekha has performed in the major theatres and Festivals all over the world as a soloist or with her company productions. She has performed in USA, Canada, all over Europe, India, Estonia, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia and the UK including Royal Opera House, London, South Bank Centre, London, Edinburgh Fringe Festival Madission Square Gardens New York, Festival of FEZ, Morocco (sharing the stage as a soloist with Pandit Ravi Shankar and Anouska Shankar) and Edinburgh International Festival, Scotland, New York Kathak Festival, USA, DancElation Festival, USA, Vande Mataram Dance Festival organized by Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi to name a few. She has choreographed and created many classical and contemporary productions for her company: Anurekha Ghosh and Company.

Anurekha received the awards for Arts & culture category presented by the Asian women Achievement Awards in collaboration with BBC, The Lisa Ullman Scholarship for Dance and Movement, the Best choreographer for The Place Choreodrome at The Place Dance Theatre UK, Nritya Shiromani, Naatyasaaradhi, Natya Damru, “Tujhe Salaam” by ILEAD (Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata), Nritha Vilasini, REX KARMAVEER fellowship from ICONGO instituted by United Nations, Amravati award, Pandit Arjun Mishra award and Padmavati award, Kala Bhushan award to name a few.

Anurekha collaborated with internationally renowned choreographers like Padmashree Kumudini Lakhia, Akram Khan (UK), Nahid Siddiqui (Pakistan/UK), Shobana Jeyasingh (UK), Mark Baldwin (UK), Andre Gingras (Holland), Héla Fattoumi and Eric Lamoureux, Via Dance Company, France. She has danced in the Michael Howell film “FRANKENSTEIN” choreographed by Mark Baldwin, screened on BBC. Her performance is also featured in the film THE SUFI WORLD. She has given many performances on BBC, Channel 4, French Television, and Indian Television. Anurekha shares her time in India and the west, teaching classical Kathak to aspiring students across the world, She has been conducting dance workshops and master-classes in Primary and Secondary schools, Special Needs schools, Performing Arts colleges and University all across the globe. She has been imparting classical Kathak dance training in intensive retreats attended by students from various parts of the world.

Intro Music Credit: Bansure Raga | Doug Maxwell