Welcome to the world of Indian classical dance
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The history of kathak
Kathakars were complete artists, telling stories through a language of theater, song and dance. It is one of the eight classical dances of India. Classical dance, because it has a very specific aesthetic, and sacred dance, because it’s inscribed in a sacred book of the Hindu Vedas, in which every detail, from costume to make-up and body positions and lines, is recorded.
This dance has traveled from the countryside to the Temples. Three styles of kathak exist. The Benaras Gharana, Lucknow Gharana and Jaipur Gharana. The Lucknow Gharana is largely composed of a repertoire enriched by Mughal-Muslim culture and texts by Sufi poets, while Benares is exclusively composed of repertoire drawn from Hindu mythology.
Kathak has two distinct technical aspects.
- Nrithya is expressive and theatrical dance
- Nritta are the purely technical and rhythmic parts of a repertoire.
Today, new generations of dancers are modifying the aesthetics of classicism in a contemporary mode, but the power, grace and rhythmic complexity in which it is embedded remain intact.
Kathak is a heritage that must be preserved.
My journey
Kathak virtuoso and choreographer, I was born in Fribourg, Switzerland.
I am honored to have already been awarded several times by Swaranjali and Pracheen Kala Kendra Chandigard in India as well as by the Indian Ambassador to Switzerland for my dedication and kathak career, as well as for my investment and contribution to the promotion of Indian culture.
My artistic studies began in Monaco in 1997, at the Conservatoire de Musique and the “Danse Plus” school.
In 2006, I was spotted in Geneva and invited by Pt Ravi Shankar Mishra to Benares, where I received my stage name “Gauri”. I obtained a junior, senior and Prabhakar diploma in kathak from the Prayag Sangeet Samiti academy in Allahabad after many years of study.
I take advantage of living in India to train in yoga therapy, tabla and Indian rhythm, as well as in Hindustani singing with Pt Ritesh Mishra (Benares Gharana).
Since 2010, I’ve been performing and representing the Benares style internationally. I collaborate with Les ballets de Monte Carlo – La Landwehr – Le cirque liquide, Nuithonie… and have performed on prestigious stages in India, including the legendary Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh in Benares.
In January 2014, I founded my association Sangeet Swiss to promote Indian classical arts.
In 2020, I was awarded a mobility grant from the cultural department of the canton of Fribourg, for artistic research to develop my movement vocabulary and study Raas (emorions) in Kathak and contemporary dance. Among other things, I’ll be meeting Sanjukta Sinha, who will transform my vision of movement into a kathak form.
In 2021, I received two awards from Swaranjali Delhi and Kala Kendra Chandigard for her dedication and involvement in Indian classical arts.
In 2023, I will be thanked and honored by the Indian Embassy at the UN in Geneva for my contribution to the promotion of Indian culture, as well as for my career as a dancer.
Discover group and private kathak dance classes.
As a professional dancer and Kathak dance choreographer, I offer private or group lessons. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, I can help you learn or improve your skills in this art form.
Group or individual courses.
