JOIN USWatching the master in action
It was well-attended by grown ups and kids alike. And the founder Murari Sharan Gupta brought in the best in the field of kathak — Pandit Birju Maharaj and Saswati Sen to share their views on the dance form and also conduct the workshop.
The workshop was divided into four categories: kids, intermediate level, advanced level and one session was set apart for freshers. And with the presence of Pandit Birju Maharaj the numbers only grew.
Those who attended the workshop confessed that dancing in the presence of the Maharaj was more than what they could ask for. To begin with the students were taught the subtle nuances, encompassing kathak and its style. They delved into the meaning of every hastak and also why specific combinations of hastaks are used for certain compositions.
A series of tukdas and teehiyes, meaning rhythmic compositions of footwork and movements, were taught to the different groups. A padh expressing the beauty of Krishna Sundara Gopalam, Uravana Malam was taught to freshers who got a feel of abhinaya through kathak.
The kids were demonstrated an item on Holi Khelath hai, giridhaari, and the trained students were taught complex compositions of tukdas and teehiyes in jhaptaal and also a tarana in jhaptaal. Well-known kathak dancer Saswati Sen performed a piece describing the Lord’s beauty and Pandit Birju Maharaj chalked out the nuances of abhinaya where he demonstrated the ang and bhaav and explained the intricacies of each move.
“Maharaji’s energy is infectious and the meaning he gives to dance is mesmerising. He highlighted the importance of emotion in every movement which left everyone mesmerised,” explained Murari Sharan Gupta, the founder of Samam. People, who attended the workshop, said they couldn’t get enough of learning from Maharaj.
Jayeeta Dutta, senior accounts quality manager with Infosys said, “Maharaj instills life into everything around you. Just to be able to interact with him and spend time with him is an experience in itself. When you watch him perform, you realise that dance is more than just technique, it’s a mix of passion and love.”
Vandana M, an architect, who was also present at the workshop said that she
was excited to watch the master in action.
“There’s so much of grace and fluidity in his movement. He has such penetrating eyes and he watches everything happening around him. We don’t get to see good kathak performances in the City and this one was mesmerising,” she said.