KDT Outreach: Dance, Music, and Culture of India

For grade levels of K to 12
Year-round availability
 
‘Namaste’ – greetings to you. Born and raised in Kolkata, India, Artistic Director Rita Mitra Mustaphi and Katha Dance Theatre brings the sights, the sounds, the colors and the tastes of this magical land. Today’s India is a land where 5,000 year-old past mingles with a thoroughly modernized present. In the residency KDT offers an unparalleled cultural experience. Students will learn storytelling and folk dances; music; folk arts associated with many festivals and languages. Students will be participating, creating, interpreting and producing original art inspired by the culture of India. This celebration of senses enriches the student's personal growth, enhances the understanding, appreciation and communicative skills and encourages creativity. 
 
Mustaphi’s work is a journey of Asian Indian identity and ancestry. She offers the high quality participatory hands on and live-in experiences from India. Mustaphi has been active in arts education for more than 20 years. She believes in respect for differences among cultures and unity in diversity. Mustaphi brings cultural experiences in relation to the already existing school curriculum of language arts, math, social studies, physical education, visual and performing arts.
 
Culminating in a final performance, the students will learn
Folk dances
Traditional north Indian storytelling dance
Folk and classical music of India
Language and gestures
Cultural dress

Students will also engage in multiple hands on activities such as:
“Mehndi” – hand painting with henna leaves
“Chandan” – face painting with sandalwood paste
“Alpana” – floor painting with rice paint
“Rakhi” – celebration of friends day
“Diya” creation of oil lamps to celebrate Diwali

‘Kathak’ – The Dancing Storytellers of India
 
This company of three artists in traditional costumes will present age-appropriate, participatory program that includes performance, lecture/demonstration, interaction and question-and-answer session. This unique presentation will combine North Indian storytelling and percussive Kathak dance, folk dance of India, stories of myths and legends, music, drama along with creating your own story by the use of hand gestures, expression, rhythm, imagination and playfulness. A valuable lesson about home and the world

Past reviews of KDT performances 

“Poetry in Motion! This lively 2000-year-old storytelling Kathak Indian dance style mixes dance, gestures, facial expressions, music, mime, rhythm and poetry – what a 2000-year-old multimedia!”
- Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
“Rita Mustaphi from Katha Dance Theatre held our students spellbound. She has an infinite amount of patience and caring combined with artistic excellence and fine communication skills, make her an outstanding art instructor.  When I began this unit, I had a list of objectives and ideas, but Rita added so much more that I have restructured my unit!”
- Karen Kutter, Principal, St. Martin School