Charlotte Moraga

🪔 About

Charlotte Moraga began her dance journey at a young age in Miami, Florida, before discovering Kathak in 1992 through Pandit Chitresh Das at San Francisco State University (SFSU). She became a principal dancer with the Chitresh Das Dance Company from 1996 to 2016, featuring in acclaimed works such as "Pancha Jati," "Sampurnam," "India Jazz Progressions," "Sita Haran," and "Shiva". In 2002, she had her ganda bandhan ceremony on the banks of the river Ganga in Kolkata and performed her first two-hour solo concert, marking her formal debut. Moraga has since toured extensively as a solo artist across the US and India, performing in prestigious venues and festivals, including the Chowdhury Festival in Kolkata and the Bali Arts Festival. A dedicated educator and choreographer, Moraga has taught Kathak in the Bay Area for over 25 years. She was the inaugural director of the Chhandam Youth Dance Company (later Chitresh Das Youth Company) in 2002, where she developed and nurtured young Kathak artists and contributed choreography for nearly two decades. Following the passing of Pandit Chitresh Das in 2015, Moraga co-founded the Chitresh Das Institute (CDI) in 2016 with Celine Schein Das and Preeti Zalavadia, where she serves as Artistic Director. At CDI, she continues to train the next generation of performers and teachers and presents unique new works. Her choreography, which blends tradition with her unique voice, has received critical acclaim, including works like "Aranya Devi" and "Mantram". She has also published articles on Kathak in various dance publications. Awards & Honours: Anugami (2018), Shensen Performing Arts Fellowship (2007).