Katha Dance Theatre

Rita Mitra Mustaphi
Artistic director, choreographer and dancer, Rita Mitra Mustaphi has been teaching and performing dance in the Twin Cities since 1978. A graduate of Rabindra Bharati University of Performing Arts in Calcutta, India she is a disciple of the living legend Pandit Birju Maharaj in Kathak style of Indian classical dance. Mustaphi, in her 27 years of professional dance, has choreographed more than 50 new works and performed locally, nationally and internationally.

Her selected awards include several McKnight Fellowships for choreography, dancer fellowships, and cultural collaboration awards from Minnesota State Arts Board and leadership award from the Council of Asian Pacific Minnesotans. In 1994, Mustaphi was the company member of the Guthrie Theatre in Minnesota and has performed as a troupe member of Pandit Birju Maharaj at Carnegie Hall, New York. Her choreographic credits include innovative productions such as: Naari – the Women, Sufism Remembered, Dots and Feathers, The Ramayana Project, Sister India, Souls Lament, Chandalika – the Untouchable Maiden, Living Tapestry, Unveiling, Mehfil-e-Darbar - The Royal Concert, The Courtesans – Ornaments of the Royal Court, Mother Daughter On the Border, Temple to Court, Black Candle, The Hungry Stones. She performed at the prestigious international Kathak Dance Festival, New Delhi, India in 2003 organized by the Kathak Kendra, the National Institute of Kathak dance in India. Her presentation of Sudha’s Story, a poetry enactment was reviewed by India Today, the newsmagazine as 'A poetry in motion - the piece de resistance’. Hindustan Times in India writes 'From Minnesota with magic in her steps she creates a spirit that sets her apart at the festival’. Mustaphi is also a roster artist for Minnesota State Arts Board, COMPAS and Young Audiences of Minnesota, the organizations that promote global education of multicultural arts.

Pooja Khanna
Pooja Khanna started learning Kathak dance in Twin Cities from Indrani Mallick. Later she studied under the guidance of Rita Mustaphi. She has been practicing Kathak for 15 years. Along the way Khanna has attended special workshops with Pandit Birju Maharaj, Saswati Sen, and Sontosh Kumar. Her performance credits include: Naari – the Women, Sufism Remembered, Dots and Feathers, The Ramayana Project, The Ramayana Project, Sister India, Chandalika – the Untouchable Maiden, The Hungry Stones, Black Candle, Mother-Daughter on the Border, Temple to Court, Kathak-Flamenco United Rhythm-Passion, The Courtesans, Mehfil-e-Darbar, and Living Tapestry. Khanna is currently the managing director and a teacher at the Katha Dance School. She also taught a Kathak workshop at the University of Minnesota in 2000. She has performed as a company member of KDT at the prestigious Kathak Mahotsava festival in India in January 2003. Khanna graduated from University of Minnesota in 2005 with degree in finance and women’s studies.

Asha Sharma
Asha Sharma, a member of the KDT dance company, has been studying Kathak with Rita Mustaphi for 11 years and joined the board in 1998. Her select performance credits include: Naari – the Women, Sufism Remembered, Dots and Feathers, Hungry Stones (1996, 2004), Black Candle, Mother/Daughter-On the Border, Temple to Court, Abhinaya, Chitra, The Courtesans, Minneapolis Human Rhythm Project, St. Paul's Capital New Year, Unveiling, Living Tapestry, Sister India, Ramayana and various community cultural programs. She has taken master classes with Pandit Birju Maharaj, Saswati Sen, and Sontosh Kumar. Asha teaches at the Katha Dance Theatre school and has also taught Kathak workshops at the University of Minnesota and at St. Joan of Arc Church. Asha is an attorney specializing in health law and also teaches at the William Mitchell College of Law.

Derek Phillips
Derek Phillips is a past member of the Nancy Hauser Dance Company, and has toured nationally with the Children’s Theatre Company and Katha Dance Theatre. His selected performances with Katha Dance Theatre include: Sufism Remembered, Dots and Feathers, The Ramayana Project, Sister India, Chandalika – the Untouchable Maiden, The Hungry Stones, Black Candle, Temple to Court, Hungry Stones (2003, 1996, 1994). Phillips has attended master classes with Pandit Birju Maharaj and Saswati Sen. Phillips is one of the trio dancers from Katha Dance Theatre who regularly perform at various schools and community gatherings organized by Young Audiences of Minnesota. He also performs with Mandance and Minnesota Traditional Morris Dancers. Phillips teaches in the Dance/Math pilot program at Whittier Community School for the Arts and teaches and performs for the City Children’s Nutcracker Project. He also serves as the Adjunct Dance Education Coordinator for the Professional Development Institute at the Perpich Center for Arts Education.

Mukta Sathe
Mukta Joshi studied Kathak dance at an young age from her Guru, Sanjeevani Kulkarni in Nasik, India and performed in many of dance dramas. She completed her Kathak Visharad (graduation), and won the national "Swar Sadhana" competition award in India. She has been learning Kathak from Rita Mustaphi for three years. Her performance credits include Dots and Feathers, Sadhana to Sufism, Dots and Feathers and Katha – The Story. She has performed in many community programs and is a teacher at KDT’s Shakopee branch.

Anurag Sharma
Anurag Sharma started learning Kathak from Rita Mustaphi in September 2004. His passion for dance inspired him to learn North Indian classical dance “Kathak”. Anurag attended 3 days International Kathak Festival at Chicago in October 2004 and attended Kathak workshops from Pandit Birju Maharaj, Saswati Sen, Pandit Chitresh Das, Smt Anjani Ambegaokar and Smt. Kumudini Lakhia. His performance credits with Katha Dance Theater includes The Ramayana Project, Black Candle, Sufism, Sadhana to Sufism, Dots and Feathers and Katha – The Story. Anurag is an Information Technology professional.