Ghazal Ramzani

About

As someone of Iranian origin, I was drawn to Kathak, as it deeply resonated with my cultural embodiments. With a background in classical music, theatrical experience, and former studies in philosophy, Kathak fascinated me as an interdisciplinary performance art that seamlessly merges rhythm, movement, narration, and mythology within a single body. Driven by a desire to base my artistic and choreographic practice on a dance deeply rooted in my cultural heritage, I immersed myself in the practice and concept of Kathak starting in 2013 and later pursued professional training. My ongoing dance pedagogical research aims to make the unique movement language of Kathak accessible to dance enthusiasts and dancers of diverse backgrounds. I also focus on opening the movement vocabulary of Kathak for improvisation and re-interpretation. Additionally, I teach with an awareness of Kathak's colonial legacy. Currently, my artistic research focuses on dismantling the colonial and patriarchal body archives of Kathak and developing a practice and pedagogy that is inclusive, degendered, deracialized, decolonized, and community-oriented.

Skills & Expertise