Chitresh Das
Kathak Performer
56+
Years of Experience
12+
Students Taught
1
Followers
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Chitresh Das (9 November 1944 – 4 January 2015) was a classical dancer of the North Indian style of Kathak, renowned as a performer, choreographer, composer, and educator. Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, to Nrityacharya Prohlad Das and Smt. Nilima Das, founders of Nritya Bharati, one of India's first institutions for dance, he began his Kathak…
Journey Timeline
1944
Born in Calcutta, West Bengal
1953
Began studying Kathak — At age nine under Guru Ram Narayan Misra
1955
Performed as a child prodigy — For tabla maestro Samta Prasadji and Uday Shankar
1970
Came to the United States — On a Whitney Fellowship to teach Kathak at the University of Maryland
1971
Invited to establish dance program — At Ali Akbar College of Music in California by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
1979
Established Chhandam School of Kathak and Chitresh Das Dance Company — In California
1987
Awarded Isadora Duncan Dancer of the Year Award
1988
Formed first university-accredited Kathak course in the US — At San Francisco State University
1990
Disciple Joanna De Souza established Chhandam branch — In Toronto
1992
Disciple Gretchen Hayden established Chhandam branch — In Boston
2000
Participated in ACTA's Apprenticeship Program — With apprentice Rina Mehta
2001
Received Irvine Fellowship in Dance — From the James Irvine Foundation
2002
Founded Chhandam Nritya Bharati in India — Reopened his parents' school in Calcutta. Also founded Chitresh Das Youth Company.
2003
Awarded Isadora Duncan Dancer of the Year Award
2004
Received Lifetime Achievement Award — From the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
2005
Named "Dance Icon of the West" — By the San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum
2006
Received Goldie Lifetime Achievement Award — From the San Francisco Bay Guardian. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proclaimed September 28th "Kathak Day".
2007
Received award from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan — For outstanding contribution in Kathak dance. Participated in ACTA's Apprenticeship Program with apprentice Farah Yasmeen Shaikh.
2009
Chosen as a National Heritage Fellow — By the National Endowment for the Arts. Participated in ACTA's Apprenticeship Program with apprentice Jaiwanti Das Pamnani.
2010
Co-founded Chhandam Nritya Bharati branch in Mumbai — With disciple Seema Mehta
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Video Library
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Signature Performances
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Performance Map
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Awards & Honors
- 1987 · Isadora Duncan Dancer of the Year Award
- 2003 · Isadora Duncan Dancer of the Year Award
- 2004 · Lifetime Achievement Award — San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
- 2005 · Dance Icon of the West — San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum
- 2006 · Goldie Lifetime Achievement Award — San Francisco Bay Guardian
- 2007 · Award for outstanding contribution in Kathak dance — Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
- 2009 · National Heritage Fellow — National Endowment for the Arts
- 2013 · Honor for artistic commitment to Kathak and Indian classical arts — Governor of West Bengal
- 2003 · Isadora Duncan Dance Award for "East as Center"
- 2005 · Isadora Duncan Dance Award for "India Jazz Suites" (performance)
- 2006 · Isadora Duncan Dance Award for "Sampurnam"
- 2008 · Isadora Duncan Dance Award for "Kathak at the Crossroads"
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