Episode Notes

Anita is a Montreal based Kathak dancer and Hindustani vocalist. Her Kathak Guru is Smt. Urmila Sharma.

Anita has performed over 50 times in the past 2 years both nationally and internationally in India, sharing platforms with the top names in Kathak.

She runs a successful school through her home studio, where she teaches both Kathak and Indian classical voice, grooming new dancers for the stage.

Among numerous awards and career highlights, Anita notably placed first in the Sangeet Natak Akademi Kathak competition, and recently was selected to present and learn from Pandita Saswati Sen as part of the Sadhana Series organized by Pratibha Arts in Toronto.

As a choreographer, Anita has choreographed pure Kathak to western genres such as jazz, orchestra, and disco-funk. She has given lectures on Kathak for prestigious music schools in Montreal, including the Mcgill Schulich School of music. Currently, Anita is pursuing a mentorship under Kathak dancer, Tanveer Alam, and acquiring a new movement vocabulary.

(0:02:01) Kathak vs Eurocentric Art Forms

(0:05:38) Being a Kathak Ambassador

(0:07:31) Dealing with Ignorant Comments

(0:10:52) Kathak Fusion and Bollywood

(0:13:49) Derogatory Terms used for Kathakars in Uttar Pradesh

(0:17:17) Costumes in Kathak

(0:26:12) Overcoming being Blacklisted

(0:33:36) Accommodating Students who don't know Hindi

(0:34:38) Encouraging Students to Practice

(0:43:41) Lonliness and Kathak

(0:48:24) Dancing on a stage with nails and bricks

(0:52:19) Choreographic investigation

(1:00:50) Giving Lectures in Kathak