Episode Notes

Show Highlights

(0:03:12) Tips for Hybrid Classes

(0:04:33) How art transforms the induvidual

(0:06:14) How Kathak infulences Antara di's life

(0:09:50) Goal Setting in Kathak for Beginners

(0:12:30) The importance of patience

(0:13:58) Anga Shudhdhhi

(0:16:42) Feedback loop between students and teachers

(0:19:08) How to End on Sum

(0:22:42) Rasa Theory

(0:25:32) How audience reactions are felt on stage?

(0:29:06) Managing Teaching and creative work

(0:33:55) Academies across the country

(0:34:45) Driving in Blizzards

(0:38:15) Standardization in Anga Kala Academy

(0:38:58) The issue of students leaving Kathak after high school

(0:43:59) The importance of allied subjects

(0:47:41) When and how to introduce allied subjects

(0:48:01) Creating your own compositions using Taalvidya

(0:50:16) Why the current generation needs Taalvidya

(0:54:44) Training and background

(0:58:29) Gurkul learning : Kathak immersion training

(1:00:09) Kathak in the midwest

(1:02:36) Tips on growing a Kathak Academy

(1:04:07) Outreach work and NGOs

(1:07:02) Angakala Dance Company

Antara Datta started learning Kathak at the tender age of five from Srimati Laxmi Bannerjee in Kolkata, India. She holds a double diploma in Kathak from the Bangiya Sangeet Parishad in Kolkata and the Prayag Sangeet Samiti in Allahabad, India. She received advanced training in the Lucknow gharana of Kathak from "Sringar Mani" Srimati Anuradha Nag (a senior disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj and the artistic director of the Tarangini School of dance, San Jose, California).

To hone her skills further Antara Datta also receives training from Kathak maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj and Vidushi Saswati Sen, during her annual trips to India at Kalashram, New Delhi. In addition, she regularly visits Mahagami (a dance Gurukul in Aurangabad, India) to receive intensive training from Guru Parwati Dutta. To gain better control of laya Antara receives taal vidya lessons from the legendary Guru ji Pandit Divvang Vakil. Antara is the artistic director of Anga Kala Kathak Academy, which has branches in the Pacific Northwest, North East and Central Ohio and also in Pittsburgh, PA. She held an adjunct faculty position of Kathak at the Cornish College of Arts in Seattle, Washington in Fall 2010 and then at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio in Winter, 2014 and also taught master classes at University of Akron, OH in February 2017.

Antara believes that learning Indian classical dance is a lifelong experience. She relentlessly strives for perfection. She has attended numerous workshop by the legendary Guru Pandit Birju Maharaj. To gain better control on laya she took laykari lessons from the tabla virtuoso Pandit Samir Chaterjee and currently undergoing training under Pandit Divyang Vakil. Antara Data has performed extensively in different parts of the USA, as well as India. The list includes solo and group performances in Cleveland (Ohio), Columbus (Ohio), Canton (Ohio),Pitsburgh (Pennsylvania), Seattle (Washington), Tacoma (Washington), Olympia (Washington), Chicago (Illinois), Grays Lake (Illinois) and Houston (Texas). She and her students have been regular performers at the Northwest Folk Life Festival in Seattle as well as the Asian Festival and the India Fest in Cleveland. In July 2012, she performed solo Kathak with live music at the Triguna Sen Auditorium in Kolkata, India. In 2016 she performed at the Madison Square Garden, New York, USA with Pandit Birju Maharaji's Company. In 2017, she performed at the International Dance Festival (Bharath Nriytasav) at Vishakhapatnam, India. In 2019 she performed at Kalpashree festival (Hyderabad, India), Bharat Sanskriti Utsab (Kolkata, India) and Naadam and Nrityalaya(New Delhi, India) Her innovative cho- reography has brought together seemingly unrelated dance-forms (such as Kathak and Tap Dance or Kathak and Flamenco), Kathak and Ballet in beautiful 'jugalbandi's, captivating audiences across cultures.

Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga