Kathak Marathon 2025 Set for 11-Hour Festival in Kolkata

Padatik Dance Center to Host 22 Dancers in Free Classical Event

Key Points:

• 11-hour Kathak festival features 22 dancers and 10 musicians
• Free entry event inspired by late Shyamanand Jalan’s vision
• Performers to demonstrate open technique tradition with lottery-based accompaniment

KOLKATA – Padatik Dance Center is all set to present Kathak Marathon 2025, an 11-hour festival in Kolkata featuring 22 dancers and 10 musicians with free admission.

Anamika Kala Sangam is collaborating with Padatik Dance Center for the event. The festival celebrates the classical dance form’s rhythm and expression. Entry remains free for all attendees.

The late Shyamanand Jalan inspired the marathon concept. He served as Vice Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi. His vision focused on the “open technique” tradition of Kathak.

The tradition emphasizes spontaneity and improvisation within classical framework. Performers will present their art independently. Many will dance without musician support.

Dancers must demonstrate mastery over laya and abhinaya. Some will recite the bols themselves. However, accompanying musicians will be chosen by lottery.

Tabla and vocal artists will be selected on the spot. This challenges dancers to adapt creatively. Each artist performs within fixed time slots.

Bells signal the final five and two minutes. Lights fade out at each performance’s end. The format ensures fairness and equal opportunity.

The morning session features seven dancers. Somdutta Chatterjee, Aahana Roy and Krishnendu Basu will perform. Besides, Kuheli Biswas, Debarati Banerjee, Srija Biswas and Sohini Debnath participate.

Eight dancers appear in the afternoon session. Performers include Srijoni Basu, Bipasha Sen and Tanwisha Chakraborty. Moreover, Ujjaini Chattopadhyay, Avik Chaki, Ayantika Bag, Dr. Sucharita Dutta Ghata, Vishal Krishna and Dheerendra Tiwari complete the lineup.

The evening session includes seven artists. Arpita Roy, Shuvom Mallick and Sushanta Ghosh will perform. On the other hand, Priyanka Saha, Alokparna Guha, Meghranjani Medhi and Rani Khanum conclude the marathon.

Each session opens with Padatik Dance Center students’ group presentation. Three vocal artists will participate in the event. Kaberi Datta Majumder, Joydeep Sinha and Dr. Arindam Bhattacharya provide vocal accompaniment.

Four tabla players join the festival. Biswajit Pal, Subir Thakur, Amitangshu Brahma and Pritam Polley will perform. In addition, two sitar players participate in the event.

Chandrachur Bhattacharjee and Sandeep Neogi play sitar. Umesh Mishra provides sarangi accompaniment. Mrs. Chetana Jalan of Padatik Dance Centre directs the event.

Souvik Chakraborty serves as artistic director. He is an eminent Kathak exponent. California Television Global serves as international media partner.

The festival showcases traditional solo dance form characteristics. Kathak offers immense scope for individual expression. Furthermore, the event highlights spontaneous artistic freedom within classical boundaries.

Recent classical dance festivals have gained popularity in Eastern India. Kolkata regularly hosts traditional performing arts events. The city maintains strong connections with Indian classical traditions.