Indrani Datta

Dance | Choreography | Voice | Writing | Teaching | Talks

Welcome adventurous and artistic friends. I am a London born dance, voice and word artist. I specialise in North Indian classical Kathak dance and the works of Rabindranath Tagore. Trained in India and U.K for many years by the leaders in these fields, today it is my pleasure and passion to continue sharing these forms in my home city. My love of learning, writing, performing and teaching all stem from Kathak and words and music of Rabindranath Tagore.

Kathak Dance

Dance is the visualisation of music. A painting in space with movement regardless of the story. When there is a story, the experience gets even more interesting. Self expression, lateral thinking, resilience, multi-level and multi-lingual communication are all core components of dance and Kathak. The dance form becomes a pathway for exploring imagination and identity. It’s daily practice inevitably brings mindfulness, strength and compassion. Learning about the connected nature of the world through dance fills the dancer with positivity and courage.

My Kathak form and sensibilities were formed in my childhood with several years of training with former Director of Kathak Kendra Delhi and founder of Akriti Foundation, Sushmita Ghosh. Then with Vidushi Saswati Sen, the global exponent and disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj came an intense exposure to the expressional and complex repertoire of Kathak. They taught me the art of mixing athleticism, narrative and beauty. 

Kathak, meaning to tell a story, is one of the most beautiful dance forms to grace the world. It is elegant, passionate, intelligent and brave. It is both historic and rarefied while also being modern and incredibly relevant. Poetry, songs, readings, music all bloom even more when depicted through the lyrical lines of Kathak. Stories of love and loss among man and woman and gods and goddesses enrich the language of the dance. Solo and group dance repertoire shows the versatility of Kathak. Technical pieces are full of dazzling displays of jumps, spins and intricate footwork and choreography. Expressional pieces  then complete the repertoire with stunning stories of romance, devotion and bravery. Music in Kathak is itself a thing of great beauty. Using both popular and rare ragas / scales, recorded and live vocal and instrumental pieces are crafted to showcase Kathak in all its elegance.

Choreography

I choreograph and perform using classic and modern themes to reflect our versatile heritage and current lives. Dance and especially Kathak dance has deep beauty, meaning and energy in it and envelops you in an undeniable positivity and romance for life itself. My choreography has become deeper rooted in narrative and time over the years. Site specific movement creations brings new expression to the form for an informed and curious audience.

Voice 

Along with Kathak dance, I also trained as a singer specialising in the Kathak vocal repertoire and the vast writings of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Today I am a practitioner of his songs, musicals, poems, plays and stories. My voice work continues with formal training in North Indian Classical and Italian Opera. Live recitals is where I blend Kathak, my live vocals and talented collaborators to bring rare and beloved stories to lif

Writing

I write, choreograph and direct commissioned and independent musicals and shows using Kathak, spoken word, poetry and live music. Over the years I have created bespoke creations for many established venues and institutions such as V&A, British Museum, Science Museum, Clifford Chance LLP, Goldman Sachs, NABC Houston, Nehru Centre, Leuven University, Bloomsbury Theatre, Southbank Centre, Sadler’s Wells Lillian Baylis Theatre. 

Teaching

Kathak for Kids & Kathak Kites

A passionate teacher is always ready to learn and share that knowledge. My own teachers have inspired me to take this approach. My Kathak Gurus are the former Director of Delhi Kathak Kendra and Director of Akriti Foundation, Smt. Sushmita Ghosh and Vidushi Saswati Sen, Director of Kalashram, Delhi. and also the foremost female disciple of legendary Late Pandit Birju Maharaj.

My classes combines classical technique with improvisation, stories, vocalisation and visualisation. The classes online and in person in Bloomsbury, London provide a safe space to create, learn and build their resilience. I have taught since I was a young adult and everyday I learn more about my students’ great capabilities. Through dance they can learn simple ways to use movement, music, voice and words to help them to gain confidence through clear communication. Having a South Asian connection or background is unnecessary to learn Kathak in all its glory.

I speak from personal experience when I say Kathak can help us to gain better mental and emotional balance. I balance a busy full time legal career while developing a teaching and performance practice. In my world, dance and especially Kathak is for everyone. No matter what your age or training, just remember that Kathak is as exhilarating for a beginner as it is for a veteran. It suits both an introvert and an extrovert.

Family and Learning

My creative approach has been defined by my teachers. From a very early age my parents were keen to feed my curious mind and became my first teachers. All topics were open for discussion and clearly communicating my opinions became an everyday occurrence. As a family we faced various outside challenges but what remained constant was our unwavering commitment to my learning. Dance, music, poetry, acting, sports, languages, travel, writing one by one they all made their way into my life. I am far from good at all of them! My natural talent lies in movement and music and words so my focus is on passing these passions on to my students. It is a joy to see their love of learning and discovering the wondrous creative energy they each possess. They all shine as brightly in their own unique ways. No competition. Just confidence.

Kathak Classes Online

Each student is treated as a creative artist on their own journey. They are guided to create new and unique work that reflects their own interests and passions. All students are encouraged in creating scripts and display their own talents for performances and recitals. Students are given individual practice and performances challenges to meet and after class there is online support available on an ad hoc basis.

KATHAK FOR KIDS

Sundays @ 9.30 am | Children

Each class will have no more than 6 participants.

• 60 mins class on Kathak dance, expression and vocalisation (£10)

KATHAK KITES

Mondays @ 8 pm | Adults

Each class will have no more than 4 participants.

• 60 mins class on fixed and improvised classical Kathak dance movement (£15)

• 90 mins class on classical Kathak story telling, theory and vocalisation (£20)

Commissioned Talks, Research & Writing

Indrani Datta Dance is regularly a part of curation teams for national portfolio organisations, museums, educational institutions and corporations. We look forward to calling on our large creative collaborative team to help us to deliver small and large scale performance, visual and educational projects.

Topics covered include:

• North Indian classical dance

• North Indian classical music

• Indian Mythology in Indian classical dance

• Kathak Heritage and Kathak History

• The works of Rabindranath Tagore

• Goddess culture in Hinduism

• Impact of Bengali Rennaissance

• The legacy of the British Raj in India

• Textiles of West Bengal

• Kolkata - The City of Palaces

• Palace cuisine and architecture of Kolkata