Satya Narayana Charka

🪔 About

Pandit Satya Narayana Charka is a distinguished Kathak dancer, teacher, and choreographer of international acclaim, recognized as one of the foremost exponents of Indian classical dance. He graduated in classical Kathak dance from the Government College of Music and Dance, Hyderabad, in 1962, and furthered his training at Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. He also holds a postgraduate degree in choreography from the Natya Institute of Choreography. Charka received tutelage from legendary gurus including Pt. R.K. Shukla, Smt. Maya Rao, Pt. Shambhu Maharaj, Shri B.D. Verma, and Pt. Birju Maharaj. He also briefly studied Kuchipudi under Padmashri Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna. His extensive career began in 1969 when he was appointed as a Staff Artist by the Indian Ministry of Defense. From 1969 to 1972, he taught at the American Education Foundation and the American International School. He served as an Indian Cultural delegate to Kabul in 1971 and headed a cultural delegation to Japan, Hong Kong, and Bangkok in 1971-1972. In 1974, he became the Director of Indian Cultural Activities at the Ballet and Indian Dance Institute in Tokyo, where he was also conferred the title of Indian Cultural Ambassador by Asia University, Japan. From 1976, he headed the Dance Department of the Indian Cultural Center in Suva, Fiji. In 1981, Pandit Charka established the East-West School of Dance in Monroe, New York, where he serves as its director. He has also guest taught at institutions like the Bodenwieser Dance Centre in Sydney and the School of Performing Arts in New York City in 1982. Currently, he heads the Department of Kathak at the Young Indian Culture Group (YICG) in New York City. Throughout his career, he has presented numerous ballets and dance dramas, including "Ramayana," "Krishna Leela," and "Shakuntala," performing internationally and before dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth during her Silver Jubilee tour of the South Pacific. Awards & Honours: First prize in the All-India Dance Competition, Indian Cultural Ambassador (1974).