Kathak @ Marlboro College
Once again giving accompaniment for the incomparable Veronica Simas de Souza. This time at Marlboro College with Mike Lukshis providing a brilliant tabla accompaniment. So cool to present Indian music with such sincere practitioners. None of us were brought up in the tradition, but all of us fell in love with it, and have pursued it seriously and with dedication. It's also always special for me personally to bring this art form to the place where I grew up.
Performance
Join guest artists Veronica Simas de Souza (kathak dancer) and Mike Lukshis (tabla player) and visiting faculty member Jake Charkey (cellist) for an evening of kathak dance, a classical dance form from the north of India. New York-based kathak dancer Veronica Simas de Souza, originally of Peru, trained intensively in Kathak with Padma Shri Sunayana Hazarilal, in the style of Bananas of Jankiprasad. She also has an extensive background in Egyptian classical and folk dances. Mike Lukshis has been studying tabla and living with Pt. Divyang Vakil in a Gurukul style of training. He is a fulltime teacher and manager of the Taalim School of Indian Music, serving diverse communities around New York City, and the only non-Indian member of the world-renowned tabla ensemble Talavya. Jake Charkey is an acclaimed cellist with a strong background in both Western classical music and Hindustani music. He is a disciple of the renowned violinist Padmabhushan Dr. N. Rajam in the rare Gayaki Ang style and is one of the few cellists in the world performing Indian music on the cello.
