India Currents Magazine is the 2023 recipient of the Arts Seva Award. The Arts Seva Award is given annually to an individual or organization who has contributed significantly to the advancement of the arts. Vandana Kumar is the founding Publisher of India Currents. She founded India Currents in 1986 with Ashok Kumar and Arvind Jethanandani. She has led India Currents for the last 20 years and successfully transitioned India Currents from an ad-based, print magazine model to a nonprofit all digital model. India Currents generates hundreds of articles monthly and is supporting the next generatio ..read more

As part of our YOUTH VOICES SERIES, we share an interview with Sia Puri. Sia began learning kathak at Pandit Chitresh Das’ institution in 2010, and then auditioned and was accepted in to the youth company. She has since performed at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Asian Art Museum and many other prestigious events. CDI interviewed Sia in anticipation of her Youth Company Senior Graduating Showcase performance, Nritya Ki Shakti on August 5, 2023 at the College of San Mateo Q: What do you want people to know about your Kathak journey? Sia: “Systematic practice with deep exertion” is the princ ..read more

Asavari Ukidve performs her first kathak solo after 15 years of intensive study and teaching of kathak, and a decades long relationship with the art. She performs on November 19 at 4pm at the Palo Alto JCC Schults Theater. TICKETS HERE Asavari began her study of Kathak at the age of 7 in India and trained for about 8 years. Years later she revived her Kathak training with Pandit Chitresh Das in 2000. Asavari has performed in many of Pandit Das' school show productions and Bay Area dance and community events. Her daughter, Avani is currently a member of the Chitresh Das Youth Company and a Teac ..read more

Vanita Mundhra is a CDI Kathak Fellow and a dancer in CDI’s dance company Chitresh Das Dance. She currently lives in San Francisco and will be performing in the premiere of “Invoking the River” on October 14-16 at ODC Theater in San Francisco. TICKET LINK HERE Shreya: What does “Invoking the River” mean to you? Vanita: We had a lot of conversations between the four of us dancers and Charlotte Didi, and when I took a step back, I realized Invoking the River was about everything washing through me, and everything from the past being within me, as well. It’s super cool to think, “This water may h ..read more

Alka Raghuram designed the multimedia and created the poetry that is an integral part of “Invoking the River” Chitresh Das Dance production premiering at ODC Theater on Oct 14-16, 2022 Shreya: What does Invoking the River mean to you? Alka: Invoking the River means seeking guidance from the river and really getting in touch with the river because I believe we have so much wisdom to gain from nature. When we don’t do that, then we treat nature as a resource, doing a disservice to ourselves and nature because we ourselves are part of nature. We can easily forget that we have a personal connecti ..read more

Nilan Chaudhuri is a brilliant, young musician in Indian classical music, and the son and disciple of iconic tabla Maestro Swapan Chaudhuri. He is the Tabla artist in "Invoking the River" and Director of Percussion at the Chitresh Das Institute. Shreya: What does Invoking the River mean to you? Nilan: To me, the river is symbolic of the rich tradition of Indian classical tradition and dance that flows like a river from generation to generation. Invoking the River is metaphoric for tapping into the tradition, and the approach to learning and performing. Shreya: Thinking more deeply about that ..read more

Charlotte Moraga is a ganda bandhan sishya (disciple) of the great kathak aritst, guru, and visionary Pandit Chitresh Das. She is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Chitresh Das Institute, as well as the Choreographer and Artistic Director of “Invoking the River”. Shreya Khandewale, who studied with both Pandit Chitresh Das and Charlotte Moraga as part of the Chitresh Das Youth Company, interviews Charlotte Moraga. Shreya: What does Invoking the River mean to you? Charlotte Didi: “Invoking the River” is part of a tryptic: there are three works which I have been creating. Aranya Katha ..read more

An interview with Utsav Lal, the Composer and pianist for “Invoking the River” “Indian pianist Utsav Lal has been making waves in the global music circuit as a man of promising ventures for over a decade now. Popularly dubbed the Raga Pianist, what sets him apart from the rest of the world’s pianists is his constant endeavour to make the piano an Indian instrument, by infusing ragas and Indian compositions on the Western instrument.” The Hindu Shreya: What does “Invoking the River” mean to you? Utsav: With this whole concert, there has definitely been an overarching sense of climate sensitivi ..read more

Kritika Sharma is a CDI Kathak Fellow and a dancer in CDI’s dance company Chitresh Das Dance. She currently lives in Washington, D.C. and will be performing in the premiere of “Invoking the River” on October 14-16 at ODC Theater in San Francisco. TICKET LINK HERE Shreya: What does “Invoking the River” mean to you? Kritika: Invoking the River means an exploration of our individuality, especially as dancers who have, for so many years, been company dancers, where we’ve been doing choreography for over a decade. It really encouraged us to focus on our strengths as dancers, our own stories that ta ..read more

As part of our YOUTH VOICES SERIES, we share an interview with Anushka Rao. Anushka began learning kathak at Pandit Chitresh Das’ institution in 2010, and then auditioned and was accepted in to the youth company. She has since performed at Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco Opera House, Zellerbach Hall, and many other prestigious events. CDI interviewed Anushka in anticipation of her Youth Company Senior Graduating Showcase performance, Ek Jhalak on July 30, 2022 at the Sunnyvale Theater in San Jose. Question What do you want people to know about your kathak journey? Anushka Like many journe ..read more