Sponsored by
Gretchen Hayden and Chhandika

 India Jazz Suites: Artists that Mesmerize. Rhythms that Delight. Footwork that Dazzles.

A meeting of two cultures,
through classical Indian Kathak Dance and American Tap Dance

India Jazz Suites, which comes to Boston April 29-May 2, is a brilliant production featuring one of the world's foremost kathak dance masters, Pandit Chitresh Das, in collaboration with an Emmy award-winning tap dancer, Jason Samuels Smith. These two accomplished and celebrated artists met at the American Dance Festival in 2004, when the two spontaneously began dancing together and exchanging footwork in a hallway backstage. The ongoing artistic partnership they built gave rise to India Jazz Suites, an electrifying, raw exchange of rhythm, energy and soul that transcends boundaries of culture and age. The production also features exceptional Indian classical musicians (tabla and sitar) and a jazz trio accompanying the dancers. India Jazz Suites has delighted audiences in both the US and India, and is coming to Boston (presented by World Music/Crash Arts) April 29-May 2!  

For information and tickets:   http://www.worldmusic.org

Glimpse a tantalizing preview of the show at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIkC5tJf-2I&feature=channel

To complement the show and Pandit Das’ visit to Boston, Chhandika and Springstep are co-hosting a free preview event on April 28^th. We invite you to join us!

Celebrate the Artist!
Pandit Chitresh Das—Kathak Dance Master, Innovator and Pioneer

Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 7 pm
Hawkins Halls, Springstep Dance and Cultural Center, Medford

"A performer who has opened new avenues to his form, it is easy to see why Das has been acknowledged as a phenomenon." Hindustan Times, India

Come join us as we celebrate the artistic and cultural contributions of Pandit Chitresh Das, recipient of a 2009 National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Pandit Das will be Chhandika's guest of honor at this thirty-year retrospective, including video footage, of his traditional solos and innovative choreography. He will speak about his life and his artistic process, leading up to his most recent India Jazz Suites production being presented in Boston April 30-May 2, 2010.

Pandit Chitresh Das is one of the most dynamic and far-reaching artists to have emerged from modern India. A prolific artist, his performance, choreography and evolution of Kathak have influenced the art form world-wide. Based on his concept of “innovation within tradition,” Pandit Das explores the boundaries of kathak technique and performance, creating compelling new works and techniques that are inventive, yet deeply rooted in the kathak tradition.

Please contact Chhandika as soon as possible to reserve your seat free of charge: info@chhandika.org  or 617-407-8632

Location: Springstep Center for Dance and Culture
98 George P. Hassett Dr., Medford, MA

"An acknowledged master of Kathak dance, Chitresh Das … combines rhythmic power, sensual expression, and improvisational ingenuity to spin out stories in motion..."

- NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman, appointed by President Obama

Chhandika (Chhandam Institute of Kathak Dance) is a local non-profit dedicated to the art and culture of kathak dance, and to the teachings of Pandit Chitresh Das. Chhandika offers classes in Andover, Burlington and Cambridge. For further information, visit www.chhandika.org.

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