Hasita Oza

🪔 About

Hasita Oza is a prominent Kathak dancer, teacher, and choreographer, known for her ability to fuse rhythmic, musical, and dramatic elements to create complex and expressive dance. She brings ancient choreography and pantomime to life, embodying the storytelling traditions of Kathak. Oza received rigorous training from Guru Rohini Bhate in Pune, India. After relocating to the United States, she further honed her skills under the tutelage of the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj. She holds a Master's degree in Arts and Science. Based in the United States for over two decades, Hasita Oza has performed extensively across both the USA and India, gracing numerous dance festivals, universities, and museums. Her artistic versatility is evident in her collaborative projects, which include traditional Indian dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, as well as Western styles such as Tap and Modern dance. Beyond performing, Oza has served as a consultant, conducting seminars on multicultural awareness and arts education for teachers and students throughout the USA. She has also been a Visiting Artist and Touring Artist through the North Carolina Arts Council, actively working to introduce Kathak dance to a broader American audience by traveling to schools, universities, museums, libraries, and dance studios across North Carolina. Hasita Oza is the founder and head of the Gurukul Kathak Dance Academy, which offers Kathak classes in Raleigh and Morrisville, North Carolina. Her contributions to Kathak have been recognized with several accolades, including the "Sringar Mani" title from Sur Singar Samsad, Bombay, and the National Prize "Preet Kaur Saundhi" for Nritya Visharad, both awarded in 1979. She has also received numerous grants and fellowships in the USA, such as the Emerging Artist Grant from the Arts Commission, City of Raleigh (1991), a Choreographer Fellowship from the NC Arts Council and National Endowment of the Arts (1994), and Project Grants from the United Arts Council, Raleigh (2003, 2006). She was also a Visiting Artist for the NC Arts Council from 1992-1996. Awards & Honours: Sringar Mani (1979), National Prize “Preet Kaur Saundhi” for Nritya Visharad (1979), Emerging Artist Grant (1991), Visiting Artist, Choreographer Fellowship (1994), Project Grant (2003), Project Grant (2006).