CHHANDIKA and MITHAS

present

“We Here Now”

Hindustani Music and Kathak Dance Concert

A concert celebrating the shedding of winter's dark cloak and the return of spring through evocative ragas, dynamic footwork, exotic rhythms, and dramatic storytelling.

George Ruckert, sarod   

 Gretchen Hayden, kathak dance solo

accompanied by

Hindole Majumdar, tabla 

Also presenting

Principle Dancers, Anjali Nath and Shefali Jain
&
Members of the Chhandika Youth Ensemble

 Sunday, March 2nd, 4pm

 Tickets

General $30
Students/Seniors $10
MIT Students and MITHAS Members Free

 
Chhandika and MITHAS present: We Here Now:  Hindustani Music and Kathak Dance Concert, purchase tickets here. Tickets also available at the door [cash or check only] starting one hour before the performance at Little Kresge Auditorium, MIT, Cambridge. For further information, visit www.chhandika.org or call 508-981-9091.

Kathak, one of the six forms of Indian classical dance, comes from the word katha, Sanskrit for story. A performance always features the presentation of mini-dramas, either tales from the past or innovative. In this version of a traditional solo, the three aspects of Kathak – nritta (pure dance), nritya (dance and drama), and natya (pure drama) – are integrated, highlighting well-known stories through tayari (technique), layakari (rhythmic intricacy), khubsurti (beauty and grace in movement), and nazakat (subtlety and delicacy). Hindustani music is based on the elaboration of melodic formats (ragas), which are aurally learned through compositions given in rigorous study with a teacher. Vocal music is blended with instrumental idioms and techniques in such a way that the disciple makes the music his own in rendering the music spontaneously, blending memory with improvisation.

Background information:

George Ruckert

George Ruckert is a disciple of the late sarod maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Currently a Senior Lecturer at MIT, he teaches Indian classical, world, and western music. After receiving his MA in western music, Ruckert studied the sarod, violin, and vocal music with Maestro Khan in California, teaching and administering at the Ali Akbar College there for more than twenty years. He composed music for several of the dance dramas of Kathak dance master Chitresh Das, notably Sita Haran and The Gold Rush. He has performed sarod in concert extensively throughout the U.S. Canada, Europe, and India, and has composed the ragas Shenan Mand and Usha Kanra. He holds a PhD degree in ethnomusicology from the University of California at Berkeley, and has authored five books on Indian classical music. He is a co-founder of MITHAS, which has presented some 150 programs of Indian classical music and dance since it was established in 1993.

Gretchen Hayden

Gretchen Hayden is an internationally recognized performer and teacher of kathak dance. She is a senior disciple of the renowned master and guru, Pandit Chitresh Das. “My senior-most disciple, whose grace and elegance have always made her special.” Ms. Hayden has dedicated the last eighteen years to fostering kathak in New England. She is an active performer and teacher, often touring and performing with her husband. She teaches accredited kathak courses at Tufts University and Wellesley College. She teaches and performs regularly with her dance students, weaving tradition into innovative dance dramas, including The Legend of St. Lucy, The Story of Dymphna, and Kore. She, her husband, and Chhandika are bearers of tradition, carrying on the legacy of kathak and Hindustani music established in the U.S. and India by Pdt. Chitresh Das and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

Hindole Majumdar

Hindole has already occupied a commendable position amongst the young tabla players of this generation. He had his training from Sri Shibsankar Karmakar, a worthy disciple of late Ustad Karamatullah Khan. He has been taking advanced training from the tabla maestro Pandit Sankha Chatterjee of the Punjab Gharana, the school made famous by Ustad Allah Rakha Khan.  He has also taken training in South Indian Rhythm style from Bidwan Pandit S.Shekhar the great Mridangam exponent. Hindole has been appreciated by Great Tabla Maestroes like Pandit Swapan Chowdhury, Pandit Kumar Bose, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee and Ustad Sabir Khan. He is a regular artist on All India Radio.

Chhandika (Chhandam Institute of Kathak Dance)
Founded in 2002, Chhandika is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining and contributing to the rich tradition of Kathak dance, a classical storytelling art from North India. Chhandika offers classes for men, women, and children of all ages; enriches the community through performances and demonstrations; and fosters personal growth and cultural exploration through its workshop and outreach activities. Chhandika was founded by Gretchen Hayden, the most senior disciple of Pandit Chitresh Das. http://www.chhandika.org  

MITHAS: MIT Heritage Arts of Southasia

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