Kathak Potpourri: A Study of Classroom Kathak in Contemporary India

Abstract

This paper is a reading of the life and works of Sushmita Ghosh (a Kathak dancer and
a former director of Kathak Kendra, Delhi) at an interesting crossroads of tradition and
modernity wherein she takes up different subject positions to advocate the need for
striking a balance between the past and present requirements of the cultural market.
Ghosh’s journey begins from the traditional guru-shishya parampara to the
contemporary methodology of teaching in UK and in India, each of which requires a
modification to cater to the needs of the students and the audience alike. This paper is
a manifestation of a series of interviews conducted by me with Sushmita Ghosh in order
to understand the changing cultural politics of the nation and the classroom as the space
for refurbishing classical Kathak.