Kalasangam : An Evening with Indian Classical Arts
Presented In Collaboration with Arts without Borders
July 24, 6.30 PM, Cleveland State University
1899 E 22nd St, Cleveland, Ohio 441145
Conceptualized By Antara Dutta
Antara Datta started learning Kathak at the age of five from Laxmi Bannerjee in Kolkata, India. She earned her degree in Kathak from Bangia Sangeet Parishad in Kolkata. She received advanced training in the Lucknow gharana style of Kathak from “Sringar Mani” Srimati Anuradha Nag (a senior disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj), artistic director of the Tarangini School of dance in San Jose, California and also from Kiran Chauhan (a senior disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj ), who is currently a full time faculty at the Anila Sinha Foundation in Chicago. The name “Anga Kala Kathak Academy” was coined by her guru Srimati Anuradha Nag. Antara Datta held an Adjunct Faculty position of Kathak, in the Cornish College of Arts in Seattle, WA in Fall 2010 & also at Kent State University, Kent, OH in spring 2014.
Antara believes that learning a classical Indian dance form such as Kathak is a lifelong experience. She relentlessly strives to perfect herself. She has attended workshops by the legendary gurus Pandit Birju Maharaj and Kumudini Lakhia. To gain better control on laya she takes layakari lessons from Kuntal Roy (a student of Pt. Pandit Shankar Ghosh) and tabla virtuoso Pandit Samir Chatterjee. She is also earning a second diploma in Kathak from the Prayag Sangeet Samiti of Allahabad, India.