Seibi Lee

🪔 About

Seibi Lee is a distinguished Kathak artist, master teacher, and a leading disciple of the legendary Kathak master Pandit Chitresh Das. Born and raised in Alberta, Canada, Lee initially trained in piano, violin, and ballet, and pursued a pre-med program before dedicating herself to Kathak. She moved to San Francisco in 1997 to study directly with Pandit Chitresh Das, immersing herself in the art form. Lee established herself as a dynamic solo Kathak artist, renowned for her exceptional artistry, sophisticated musicality, and profound dramatic character interpretations. She toured nationally and internationally with the acclaimed Chitresh Das Dance Company starting in 2003, becoming a principal dancer and later serving as artistic director and principal soloist in 2015. Her virtuosic performances include dramatic roles such as the demon Marich and the monkey prince Hanuman in "Sita Haran," Mantara in "Ramayana," the General in "Darbar," and the electrifying Guru in Das's final work, "Shiva," a role she reprised at the Zellerbach Theatre in 2016. In 2013, Lee premiered her enchanting solo work "Houyi and Chang'e," based on a Chinese myth told in traditional Kathak style. Her solo work "The Voice Within" also features "Panchamsawari – 15 beat taal" and "Yuki no Onna – The Woman of Snow." Following Pandit Chitresh Das's passing in 2015, Seibi Lee, along with fellow disciples Rachna Nivas and Rukhmani Mehta, co-founded the Leela Dance Collective, an organization dedicated to carrying on Das's legacy and defining Kathak's place in the American dance landscape. She serves as a Founding Artist and Artistic Director of Leela Dance Collective and is the Dean of Leela San Francisco (formerly Chhandam School of Kathak), where she leads the San Francisco location. Lee has been recognized for her contributions to Kathak, receiving an Isadora Duncan Dance Special Award and two subsequent nominations for her performances with the Chitresh Das Dance Company. In 2012, she received a grant from the Walter and Elise Haas Fund and was an Artist in Residence at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center from 2012-2014. The Alliance of California Traditional Arts recognized her as a Master Artist in 2016. She is highly regarded for her teaching, having mentored many generations of dancers, including apprentices Sonali Toppur and Poonam Narkar, and teaching faculty member Ria DasGupta. Awards & Honours: Isadora Duncan Dance Award nomination for best Company Performance in Pancha Jati (2004), Isadora Duncan Dance Award nomination for best Company Performance in Shabd (2008), Grant from the Walter and Elise Haas Fund (2012), Isadora Duncan Dance Special Award, Master Artist (2016).