Prakritir Pratisodh – Nature’s Revenge! Digital Program
Katha Dance Theatre Proudly Presents:
Prakritir Pratisodh – Nature’s Revenge!
Prakritir Pratisodh – Nature’s Revenge! embodies climate change through a series of breathtaking Kathak dance vignettes. In showing what happens when human actions drive the five basic elements of nature (earth, water, fire, air, & space; in Indian philosophy and Ayurveda considered the fundamental building blocks of the universe & human body) out of sync, Nature’s Revenge! demonstrates how we can work together to bring them back into harmony.
Direction and choreography by Rita Mustaphi. A work-in-progress version of this show was among the Star Tribune’s top 10 most memorable dance performances of 2023.
Choreographer’s Reflection:
Every rhythm begins with the earth.
Nature’s Revenge! was inspired by our fragile bond with the earth — a relationship built on beauty but broken by neglect. I see again and again that nature is not silent, but is a force ready to reclaim her rhythm. Nature’s Revenge! was born from a question: What happens when the balance of creation breaks?
Through Kathak, I tell this story — its footwork becomes the heartbeat of the earth, its spins mirror storms, and its expressive gestures give voice to rivers and winds.
For me, this choreography is a dialogue — between creation and consequence, between humanity and the planet that sustains us. Nature’s Revenge! is not just about destruction, not about anger; it’s a call to listen again, it’s about awakening — to the rhythm of the earth, before it fades.
– Rita Mitra Mustaphi
This performance will be approx. 75 minutes long with no intermission.
Please note that video and flash photography are strictly prohibited.
Enjoy the show!
THE PROGRAM
Panchabhuta – the five basic elements of nature
Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Space
Music by Jayanta Banerjee
Dancers: Rita Mustaphi, Shilpi Chatterjee, Sarika Haris, Nivedita Sahni, Rupa Nair, Monica Singh-Shukla
Shrishti – Song of creation
Music by Sharat Srivastav
Dancers: Rita Mustaphi, Shilpi Chatterjee, Sarika Haris, Nivedita Sahni, Rupa Nair, Monica Singh-Shukla
Manav aur Prakriti – Humans in equilibrium with nature
Music by Pandit Birju Maharaj
Dancers: Aaratrika Mondal, Ishani Nandan, Vibashreya Srivatsan, Siona Haris, Ajay Patel, Ayushmita Mondal
Pradushan – Pollution
Music by Jayanta Banerjee
Dancers: Rita Mustaphi, Shilpi Chatterjee, Sarika Haris, Nivedita Sahni, Rupa Nair, Monica Singh-Shukla, Aaratrika Mondal, Ishani Nandan, Vibashreya Srivatsan, Siona Haris, Ajay Patel, Ayushmita Mondal
Pratibaad – Revolt
Live vocalization and dance by KDT Company
Dancers: Shilpi Chatterjee, Sarika Haris, Nivedita Sahni, Rupa Nair, Monica Singh-Shukla, Aaratrika Mondal, Ishani Nandan, Vibashreya Srivatsan, Siona Haris, Ajay Patel, Ayushmita Mondal
Prakriti Ka Pratishodh – Conflict
Music by Rajeev Chakraborty
Dancers: Shilpi Chatterjee, Sarika Haris, Nivedita Sahni, Rupa Nair, Monica Singh-Shukla, Aaratrika Mondal, Ishani Nandan, Vibashreya Srivatsan, Siona Haris, Ajay Patel, Ayushmita Mondal
Durjog – Disaster
Music by Rajeev Chakraborty
Dancers: Rita Mustaphi, Shilpi Chatterjee, Sarika Haris, Nivedita Sahni, Rupa Nair, Monica Singh-Shukla, Aaratrika Mondal, Ishani Nandan, Vibashreya Srivatsan, Siona Haris, Ajay Patel, Ayushmita Mondal
Roksha – Protection
Music by Sharat Srivastav
Dancers: Rita Mustaphi, Shilpi Chatterjee, Sarika Haris, Nivedita Sahni, Rupa Nair, Monica Singh-Shukla, Aaratrika Mondal, Ishani Nandan, Vibashreya Srivatsan, Siona Haris, Ajay Patel, Ayushmita Mondal
ARTISTIC PERSONNEL
Concept, choreography, direction: Rita Mustaphi
Music composition (in India): Pandit Birju Maharaj, Jayanta Banerjee, Sharad Srivastava, and Rajeev Chakraborty
Costume design: Rita Mustaphi
Costume construction: Rhythm Dance Wears, India
Set design: Rita Mustaphi
Rehearsal master: Mukta Sathe
CAST
The Storyteller: Rita Mustaphi
The Elements in nature (Company dancers of Katha Dance Theatre)
Earth: Shilpi Chatterjee
Air: Sarika Haris
Water: Nivedita Sahni
Fire: Rupa Nair
Space: Monica Singh-Shukla
People on Earth (Apprentice dancers of Katha Dance Theatre unless otherwise mentioned)
Aaratrika Mondal (Company dancer)
Ishani Nandan (Company dancer)
Vibashreya Srivatsan (Company dancer)
Siona Haris
Ajay Patel
Ayushmita Mondal
CREW
Production Manager and Lighting Design: Mike Grogan
Stage Manager: Fae Dougherty
Videographers: Jim Peitzman, Kalyan Mustaphi
Sound Design: Jayanta Banerjee
Production Services Coordinator: Chadwick Cook
Lighting Technicians: Garvin Jellison & Jacob Edholm
Sound & Video Technicians: Bri Atwood
Hands: Roger Rosvold & Alicia Wold
ASL Interpreter (Sunday only): Rosalinda Estrada-Alvarez
Photographers: Sarah Weiss and Anjana Nair
ABOUT KATHA DANCE THEATRE
Katha Dance Theatre (KDT) creates, performs and educates through the art forms of dance, music, poetry and storytelling. Rooted in Kathak, the classical dance style of Northern India, KDT is dedicated to making dance accessible, inclusive and relevant. It enhances the local community by bridging diverse cultures and audiences to contribute to life’s infinite artistic expressions.
ABOUT KATHAK DANCE
Kathak (pronounced “Kah-tahk”) is a classical dance tradition native to North India. Its origins can be traced back to as early as 400 BCE, when it began as a form of sharing stories, myths, and Hindu scripture in temples and royal courts. Characterized by both rhythmic and lyrical elements, it features graceful hand gestures, pirouettes, and complex footwork, performed with expressiveness and precision. Over the centuries, it has grown to incorporate diverse influences and viewpoints with KDT at the forefront of its artistic evolution.
ARTIST BIOS
CHOREOGRAPHER
Rita Mitra Mustaphi founded KDT with the goal of making Kathak relevant and accessible across lines of generation, culture, and community. Over three decades, she has built a reputation as an innovative, risk-taking artist; introduced Kathak to a global audience and garnered countless awards for her choreography and leadership.
Ms. Mustaphi has choreographed more than fifty original dance works. Notably, she has performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall and the prestigious Khajuraho Dance Festival in Madhya Pradesh, India, among other venues worldwide. Her collaborative choreographic credits include Karna – the Abandoned Hero (2013) with J.D. Steele; EKAM – The Supreme Oneness (2011) with Robert Robinson, and Sufiana – The Sufi Ecstasy (2016) with Pooja Goswami Pavan as well as The Hungry Stones (2018), Ritu – the Seasons (2018) and Shaamya – Of Equality (2021). She is a recipient of four McKnight Fellowships for choreography (including one in 2023), a Leadership award from the Council of Asian Pacific Minnesotans, a 2011 Lifetime Achievement award from the India Association of Minnesota and a 2012 Education award from the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. In 2021, she received a Women’s Empowerment award from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
Most recently, she was given the prestigious 2025 Ernie Award by Dance/USA for her leadership and work behind the scenes within the national dance community.
KDT COMPANY
Shilpi Chatterjee pursued her Kathak dance education in India for a decade before relocating to Minnesota where she is continuing her training under the guidance of Guru Rita Mustaphi at KDT. She received awards at many district-level dance competitions in India and has showcased her talents with the Bengali Association of Minnesota. In 2021, she received the Jury Award at the Urvashi Dance, Music, Art, and Culture Society’s international talent competition. Her performance credits with KDT include Shaamya – Of Equality (2021), Black Candle (2022), and Kathak E-motion (2023), Ganga – A Choreographic Odyssey (2024) and Panchatantra – The Dancing Tales of Wisdom (2024). She has participated in workshops led by the esteemed late Pandit Birju Maharaj and Ms. Saswati Sen. She has been a KDT instructor since 2023 and a company member since 2021.
Sarika Haris began her dance journey in India, where she studied Bharatanatyam, the South Indian classical dance style, for over nine years. She joined KDT as a student under Guru Rita Mustaphi in 1999. Her selected performance credits with KDT as a company member include Panchatantra – The Dancing Tales of Wisdom (2024), Kathak E-motion (2023), Ganga – A Choreographic Odyssey (2024), Shaamya – Of Equality (2021), The Hungry Stones (2018) Ritu – The Seasons (2018), Sufiana – the Sufi Ecstasy (2016), Pourush – The Masculine (2015), The Rubaiyat – Life in a Day (2014), In Retrospect (2012), and the lead role in KDT’s original production of Chandalika – The Untouchable. A student of Kathak masters Pandit Birju Maharaj and Ms. Saswati Sen, she performed in India’s Khajuraho Dance Festival in 2017. Sarika has been a KDT instructor since 2017 and a Company Company member since 2002.
Monica Singh-Shukla began her Kathak training under the guidance of Guru Rita Mustaphi at age 7, and joined KDT as a company member in 2006. She has participated in workshops with Kathak legend late Pandit Birju Maharaj and guru Saswati Sen. Her select performance credits with KDT include Panchatantra – The Dancing Tales of Wisdom (2024), Kathak E-motion (2023), Shaamya – Of Equality (2021), The Hungry Stones (2018) Ritu – The Seasons (2018), Sufiana – the Sufi Ecstasy (2016), The Rubaiyat – Life in a Day (2014), Karna – the Abandoned Hero (2013), and In Retrospect (2012). Monica has served as a KDT Kathak instructor since 2012.
Rupa Nair began her dance career at Mumbai’s Sri Rajarajeshwari Bharatha Natya Kala Mandir, where she studied Bharatanatyam for ten years and for which she has won awards at state and district-level dance competitions. Rupa joined KDT as a student of KDT in 2012, and has since studied Kathak under her guru Ms. Rita Mustaphi and masters Pandit Birju Maharaj and Ms. Saswati Sen. Her performance credits with KDT include Ganga – A Choreographic Odyssey, Panchatantra – The Dancing Tales of Wisdom (2024), Kathak E-motion (2023), Ritu – The Seasons (2018), Sufiana – the Sufi Ecstasy (2016), The Rubaiyat – Life in a Day (2014) and a leading role in KDT’s 2015 production of Pourush – The Masculine. Rupa was also an instructor at KDT’s school from 2017-2018.
Nivedita Sahni first studied Kathak at the Jaipur school of Kathak dance and the Kathak Kendra School in New Delhi, India. Locally, she has studied under Rita Mustaphi for over a decade and participated in workshops with the late Pandit Birju Maharaj and Ms. Saswati Sen. Her performance credits with KDT include Panchatantra – The Dancing Tales of Wisdom (2024), Ganga – A Choreographic Odyssey (2024), Kathak E-motion (2023), Shaamya – Of Equality (2021), The Hungry Stones (2018), a leading role in Pourush – The Masculine (2015), Ritu – The Seasons (2018), Sufiana – the Sufi Ecstasy (2016), The Rubaiyat – Life in a Day (2014), and Karna – The Abandoned Hero (2013). Nivedita has been a member of KDT’s Company since 2008 and is a Kathak instructor at KDT’s school.
Ishani Nandan began her Kathak training at KDT School over a decade ago under Mukta Sathe & currently studying under the guidance of Guru Rita Mustaphi. She attended workshops with Kathak legend late Pandit Birju Maharaj and his disciple, guru Saswati Sen. Ishani recently appeared in KDT’s 2022 production of Black Candle in a featured role & also performed in Kathak E-motion (2023) and Panchatantra – The Dancing Tales of Wisdom (2024). This is her second season as a member of KDT’s Company.
Aaratrika Mondal began learning Kathak at KDT in 2014 under the guidance of Guru Rita Mustaphi and has since taken workshops with Kathak legend late Pandit Birju Maharaj, his disciples guru Saswati Sen and guru Durga Arya-Krüger. In April of 2021, she won her age group in the Kathak solo performance category at the Bharathotsav International, Virtual Dance Competition in Ottawa, Canada. She has performed in KDT’s prouction of Black Candle (2022), Kathak E-motion (2023), Ganga – A Choreographic Odyssey (2024) and Panchatantra – The Dancing Tales of Wisdom (2024). This is her second season as a member of KDT’s Company.
Vibashreya Srivatsan began her Kathak journey at KDT in 2018 and has since studied with masters such as Saswati Sen and Durga Arya-Krüger. She has also studied bharatanatyam for over 15 years in Chennai, India. She has performed in Kathak E-motion (2023), Ganga – A Choreographic Odyssey (2024) and Panchatantra – The Dancing Tales of Wisdom (2024). This is her second season as a member of KDT’s Company.
APPRENTICES & STUDENT DANCERS
Siona Haris began learning Kathak at KDT in 2014 under the guidance of Guru Rita Mustaphi and has since attended workshops with Kathak legend late Pandit Birju Maharaj, as well as his disciples, guru Saswati Sen and guru Durga Arya-Krüger. She performed in KDT’s production of Ganga – A Choreographic Odyssey (2024) and Panchatantra (2024). This is her third season as a KDT apprentice.
Ajay Patel began learning Kathak at KDT in 2020 and has since taken workshops with masters like guru Durga Arya-Krüger. Prior to starting with KDT, he studied bharatanatyam for over 5 years with Ragamala Dance Company. His performance credits include Panchatantra (2024), Ganga – A Choreographic Odyssey (2024), Black Candle (2022). This is his third season as a KDT apprentice.
Ayushmita Mondal began learning Kathak at KDT at the age of 6, and she won her age group in the Kathak solo performance category at the Bharathotsav International Virtual Dance Competition in Ottawa, Canada in 2021. She has previously been onstage in KDT productions of Black Candle (2022) and Panchatantra (2024). She is an intermediate student at KDT’s school.
KDT FUNDERS
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. This work is funded in part by MHC with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. It is also funded in part by grants from the Hubbard Broadcasting Founation, RBC Foundation, & general operating support from the McKnight Foundation and Archie and Bertha Walker Foundation, as well as by the generosity of KDT’s private donors.
KDT PARTNERS:
KDT FY 2025-26 INDIVIDUAL DONORS:
$5,000 and above
Dr. S.K. Dash
$1,000 – $4,999
Jana & Erik Hagen • Shilpa Manjure • Pooja & Ryan Newcom • John Palka • Ranga Ramamoorthy • Xcel Energy Foundation
$500 – $999
Paurvi Bhatt • William Blackwood • Bob Beverage • Rita & Kalyan Mustaphi • Anoop & Preeti Mathur • Rupa & Rahul Nair • Tanwi Prigge • Raj Rajan • Nivedita Sahni • Binita Sinha • Deacon Warner
$200 – $499
Riki Banerjee • Ram Gada • General Mills • Sarika Haris • Gopal Sadagopal • Asha Sharma and Jeffrey Davies
$75 – $199
Anonymous donors • Raj Chaudhary • Anirban Halder • Fatima Jawaid • Shruti Joshi • Donald LaCourse • Mary McKeown • Anjana & Suresh Nair • Ajay Patel • Srinivas Siddabathuni
$74 and under
Saumyadip Bagchi • Joe Chvala • Jim Peitzman
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rita Mustaphi – President
Kalyan Mustaphi – Treasurer
Monica Singh-Shukla – Secretary
Kuhu Singh – Member at Large
Aditi Steinbruchel – Member at Large
Carlos Abler – Member at Large
Kusum Gosain – Member at Large
Ryan Newcom – Member at Large
Nash Shaikh – Member at Large
STAFF
Rita Mustaphi – Artistic Director
Kalyan Mustaphi – Executive Director
Nina Hagen – General Manager
Kully Vance – School Manager
19 Ways to Help the Climate, Ranked
Source: World Resources Institute
SURVEY
We ask that you take a couple of minutes to fill out a survey about this performance here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WV5V9MK
Coming Later This Season:
Vasantotsav
Photos (L-R): Anjana Nair; courtesy of the artist.
Kathak Dance Theatre invites the community to Vasantotsav, its first-ever Spring Festival from June 6–11, 2026, featuring Guru Saswati Sen & her Company from New Delhi, India alongside KDT dancers and apprentices. The weeklong festival includes workshops, a seminar on the psychological benefits of Kathak, and performances exploring the mind-body connection and the role of women in Kathak through history.
The highlight of the festival is the Kathak Spring Festival Gala & Fundraiser on Saturday, June 6 from 5:00–9:00 PM. The event features live performances by visiting artists and KDT dancers with classical musicians from India. Guests can enjoy a silent auction, Indian-inspired refreshments, and the opportunity to meet the artists, all while supporting KDT’s youth programs, residencies, and education initiatives.
Katha Dance Theatre (KDT) is a dance company and school rooted in Kathak, the Indian classical dance form. After founding KDT with her husband Kalyan Mustaphi in 1987, Rita Mustaphi shaped its artistic vision with the goal of making Kathak relevant and accessible across lines of generation, culture, and community. Over nearly four decades, she has built a reputation as an innovative, risk-taking artist; introduced Kathak to a worldwide audience; and garnered countless awards for her choreography and leadership.
Conceptualized by Rita Mustaphi, KDT’s repertory strives to modernize and diversify Kathak in ways that make it relevant and inclusive while still maintaining its authenticity and cultural integrity. Through incorporating cross-cultural influences and crossing boundaries of genre and form, KDT is at the forefront of Kathak’s artistic evolution. Past collaborators have included J.D. Steele, Ifrah Mansour, Robert Robinson, Sharon Day, Susana di Palma, and the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj (Rita’s late Guru) and Ustad Zakir Hussain, among many others.
In addition to performances and education at its St. Louis Park studio, KDT’s programs include touring and outreach opportunities specifically tailored to suit the needs of individual communities. These programs deepen audiences’ connection to the material through immersive activities, helping KDT more effectively fulfill its mission to make Kathak universally accessible. In addition to lecture/demonstrations, outreach programming options include master classes, residencies and workshops in dance or folk art.
Give to the Max Day is coming on November 20! When you support KDT’s mission, your donation goes toward the above-mentioned and following initiatives:
• Helping us with the costs incurred by leasing and renovating our new studio space so it best serves our entire dance community
• Strengthening our capacity to present touring performances locally and nationally, bringing the beauty of pure Kathak to communities nationwide
• Supporting our ongoing goal to provide affordable and/or free performance options for our audiences, increasing our accessibility
• Providing scholarships, upgraded technology and advance our outreach programming, extending our reach to diverse communities.
Support KDT on Give to the Max Day, now or anytime via the links below.
Thank you for your generosity! Your donation is tax-deductible, as Katha Dance Theatre is organized as a non-profit organization under 501(c)(3). Our federal tax ID is 36-3557119.
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