Kathak And Bharatanatyam Enter A Rhythmic Dialog In Bay Area Recital

India-West News Desk

DANVILLE, CA – Bay Area Kathak dancer Pooja Khandelwal and Bharatanatyam dancer Sriyanka Sundar on September 20 brought two distinct Indian classical traditions into conversation here with ‘Ekatva: A Kathak–Bharatanatyam Samvaad,’ presented as part of the Eka Dance Festival.

Curated by Kalpavrukshaa Creations, founded by Durga Swaminathan, and Shanmukha Theatres, led by Artistic Director Ryan Nathan, the festival celebrates solo classical dancers and emerging artists from across the U.S.

‘Ekatva,’ meaning oneness, did not seek to merge Kathak and Bharatanatyam into a single vocabulary. Instead, Khandelwal and Sundar allowed the character of each form to remain distinct, finding connections through rhythm, expression and storytelling.

The evening opened with Ardhanarishwara, the iconic representation of Shiva and Shakti united in one form. The contrasting movement languages of Kathak and Bharatanatyam became a way of exploring two energies existing within a single whole.

That dialogue moved into ‘Taal Samvaad,’ where rhythmic phrases passed between the dancers through footwork, movement and gesture. Sometimes one responded to the other; at other moments, they moved together. Kathak’s intricate footwork and rhythmic compositions met Bharatanatyam’s distinctive patterns and geometry, creating an exchange without erasing the individuality of either tradition.

The rhythmic conversation gathered force in a ‘Paran,’ a powerful Kathak composition built around syllables traditionally associated with the pakhawaj. Dynamic movement and footwork carried its patterns toward a ‘tihai,’ a phrase repeated three times before resolving on ‘sam,’ the first beat of the rhythmic cycle.

For Khandelwal, a disciple of Sayali Goswami and Pandita Uma Dogra, the evening brought together different artistic lineages. Sundar, a disciple of Durga Swaminathan, brought her Bharatanatyam training into the exchange.

The dancers were accompanied by two young musicians. Tabla artist Adhira Ganesh, a disciple of Ganesh Betageri and Pt. Keshav Joshi, and mridangam artist Siddharth Nair, a disciple of Sri Cherthala Jaydev, added another layer to the rhythmic conversation.