Amita Dutt, Uday Shankar Professor at Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, has been serving the world of Kathak for more than two decades.

Groomed in the strictest classical traditions under Pdt.Birju Maharaj and other leading maestros of the premier Kathak gharanas, Amita dances with a hypnotic force and subtle sensitivity combining rhythmic virtuosity with delicate expressiveness, commendable, ‘taiyaari’ with mastery in ‘abhinayanga’. In her art we find a successful blend of tradition and talent, environmental totality as well as breathtaking dynamism. Her innovative, analytic mind has also constantly encouraged her to experiment with new ideas-thus expanding the boundaries of Kathak.

Having her roots in Calcutta, Amita has performed far and wide across three continents. Among her innumerable dance recitals in prestigious dance and music festivals, mention may be made ofthe Khajuraho Dance Festival, the Konark Festival, Utsav Mahakaleshwar, Rajgir Mahotsav, the Biswa Banga Millennium Festival, the First South Asian Festival of SAARC Countries, the India Festival in USSR, the American Dance Festival, Uday Shankar Festival, Sarat Chandrika Festival, North American Bengali Conference, Nritya Nitya Utsav, the Young Choreographers Festival and many more.

During the Autumn Festival of 1990 at Darjeeling, when the President of India, Sri R, Venkataraman, came as the Chief Guest, the Governor of West Bengal Prof. Nurul Hassan invited Amita to present her traditional dance and choreographic composition Durga. She also performed for the official government function for the Golden Jubilee of Indian Independence at Patna (1997).

In addition to giving solo recitals, Amita has been experimenting with new choreographic patterns blending pure Kathak movements with popular songs and innovative themes and has staged a number of very successful productions including Durga, Chitra Jhankar, Nazrul nana Chande, Biswa Beena Robey, East West Encounter, Joyodhwani, Amrapali, Varsha and Basant-Bahar.

An A grade artiste of the Dooradarshan, she has given two recitals for the National Programme on Dance. Her performances have also been telecast over various channels innumerable times both in India and abroad including USA, Germany, Hungary and the former USSR. Her interviews over the radio and the television in various parts of the world have spread the message of Kathak far and wide.

Besides being an excellent dancer Amita is also a brilliant student of English Literature and a Gold Medallist of the Calcutta University. Her academic background has helped her to popularize her dance form through her prolific publications in major books and journals such as Bhakti in Indian Classical Dances (Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad), Desh Binodon 1987 (Special Issue on Dance), The Statesman Festival Number 1990, Special Independence Golden Jubilee Issue of Desh and Dance Specials of Nandan. She is a regular contributor to the dance sections of The Statesman, Aajkaal and Bartamaan and has written for TheHindustan Times, Sananda, Pratidin and Paribartan. Her moving deliberations in seminars and conferences all over the world in academic conferences and other forums have helped to spread the message of her dance.

A dedicated teacher, Amita’s students include National and State Scholarship Awardees, University Gold Medallists and successful performers.

She is the Uday Shankar Professor and formerly the Head of the Department of Dance at Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. Her associations with other major Universities as Expert, Visiting Fellow and Examiner include Viswabharati (Santiniketan), Indira Kala Sangit Vishwa Vidyalaya (Khairagarh), M.S.University (Baroda), Punjabi University (Patiala) and University of Burdwan. She has also given Lecture Demonstrations at various Universities in USA including the Universities of Arizona, Ohio, Purdue, Miami and Central Florida.

She was invited by the United States Information Agency to the American Dance Festival where she performed, taught in Master Classes and attended an Arts Management Course. Subsequently she has also contributed to her field as an organizer and manager. She was the Convener, Culture of the Bishwa Banga Millennium Festival and the Artistic Director of the Kathak Mahotsav 2000. She has also been the Coordinator for UGC-sponsored Refresher Courses on Performing and Visual Arts at her University.

Amongst the innumerable awards and honours conferred on her, mention may be made of the titles of Singar Mani, Nritya Urvashi, Nritya Sagarand Nritya Bharati. She has been honoured at the North American Bengali Conference and the Mayor of Cincinnati, USA gave her the Keys to the City thereby making her an Honorary Citizen and also called that day, May 15, 1994, Amita Dutt Day.

Scholar, choreographer, danseuse and professor, Amita’s main aim is to popularize her dance and she has never turned down an opportunity to spread the message of her art at home or abroad.

Biographical Information

Designation: Uday Shankar Professor & Former Head of the Department of Dance,
Rabindra Bharati University,
Kolkata, India.

Address (Office): Uday Shankar of Dance
Rabindra Bharati University
Jorasanko Campus,
Kolkata 700 007 India.

Educational Qualification: M.A. in English from Calcutta University. Stood First in the First Class and received the University Gold Medal.

Registered for Ph.D. at the University of Calcutta and received UGC Research Fellowship.

Taught in the Post Graduate Department of Calcutta University.

Dance Training Qualification: Intensive training in Kathak under Pandit Birju Maharaj, Sm. Bela Arnab, Sm. Bandana Sen, Sm. Susmita Mishra, Ram Mohan Mishra, Rajendra Gangani and Pandit Vijai Shankar.

Training in Kathakali under Guru Govindan Kutty, in Odissi under Guru Muralidhar Majhi, in Indian folk dances under Sm. Arati Majumdar and in the Uday Shankar style under Ram Gopal Bhattacharya.

Training in Satvik Abhinaya under Kalanidhi Narayan.

Training in choreography under Pdt. Birju Maharaj, Ram Gopal Bhattacharya and Santi Bose (India), Igor Moisyev (USSR) and Mark Haim (USA).

Present Status: Exponent of Kathak.

Choreographer and Director in the field of Indian dance.

Chair Professor, Dept. of Dance, Rabindra Bharati University.

Areas of Specialization:

1. In Practical Teaching: Kathak

2. In Theory of Dance: All the 8 major Classical Indian Dance Styles:

a) Historical Perspective

b) Present Status

c) Comparative Studies with other Indian and Foreign Dance Styles.

3. In Performances: Solo Kathak Recitals & Group Choreographic Compositions. (cf. Choreographic Creations)

Current Area of Research:

(I) Dance in Hindi Feature Films

1. Historical Survey.

2. Types of Dances Portrayed.

3. Their Importance and Role in the Film.

4. The Change in Styles and Choreography over the Years.

(II) The Dance Technique of Uday Shankar

1. Codification of the various movements and stances of Uday Shankar.

2. A survey of the major stylistic techniques used by the master, an analysis of their possible origin and their application in his various creations.

(III) Tagore’s Concept of Dance

(IV) Research scholars and fellows receiving guidance for Doctoral thesis: seven.

Performances at Major Dance Festivals:

2004: Baishakhi Festival, Habitat Centre, New Delhi
2004: Balasore Vikas Mahotsav, Orissa
2003: Uday Shankar Festival, Rabindra Sadan, Kolkata
2003: Bengali Cultural Festival, Nehru Centre, Mumbai.
2003: Burdwan Vasant Utsav Dance Festival.
2002: Burdwan Vasant Utsav Dance Festival.
2002: Govt. of India & Indian Museum Vasanta Utsav.
2001: Kathak Dance Festival of the West Bengal State Music Academy, Kolkata.
2001: Dance Drama Festival of Govt. of West Bengal, Kolkata.
2000: Biswa Bangla Sammelan Millennium Festival, Kolkata.
2000: Uday Shankar Festival, Siliguri.
1999: American Dance Festival, Durham. USA.
1997: Rajgir Mahotsav, Bihar.
1996: Tripura Tourism Festival, Agartala.
1996: North American Bengali Conference, Houston. USA
1995: Andaman Festival, Port Blair.
1994: Utsav Mahakaleshwar, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
1994: North American Bengali Conference, Chicago. USA
1993: Konark Festival, Orissa.
1993: Nritya Nitya Utsav, Chaudaya Memorial Hall, Bangalore.
1992: First South Asian Music Festival of SAARC Countries.
1991: Kathak Mahotsav of Jaipur Kathak Kendra.
1990: Sambalpur Festival, Orissa.
1988: Sarat Chandrika Festival of Kathak Kendra, New Delhi.
1982: Khajuraho Dance Festival, Madhya Pradesh.

Official Government Functions:

1997: Golden Jubilee of Indian Independence, Patna.
1990: Autumn Festival, Darjeeling. Performed before Sri R. Venkataraman, President of India.
1985: Independence Day State Function, Calcutta.
1981: Silver Jubilee of the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

Performances at Academic Institutions:

2003: Wright State University, USA
2003: University of Delaware, USA
2003: Jadavpur University, Kolkata
2003: Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.
2003: Mahraja Shiyaji University, Baroda
2002: Viswabharati, Santiniketan.
2002: Burdwan University, West Bengal.
2001: Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.
2000: Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.
1999: Duke University, American Dance Festival. USA.
1998: Government Sanskrit College, 175 th Anniversary, Kolkata.
1996: Arizona State University, Phoenix. USA.
1996: Cleveland State University, Cleveland. USA.
1995: Imperial College, University of London.
1993: Lal Bahadur Shastri Administrative Training Institute.
1993: Presidency College, 175 th Anniversary.
1990: Jabalpur Medical College.
1989: Jawaharlal Medical College, Belgaum.
1988: University of Central Florida.
1988: Columbia University, New York.
1986: University of Budwan Convocation.
1986: University of North Bengal Convocation.
1986: Indian School of Mines, Diamond Jubilee, Dhanbad.
1984: Asiatic Society, Bi-Centenary.
1983: Calcutta University, 125 th Anniversary.
1981: Indira Kala Sangit Vishwa Vidyalaya, MP.
1980: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, London.

Performances at AcademicConferences:

2004: International Conference on Statistics, Kolkata.
2003: University Grants Commission Golden Jubilee Conference
2003: USCON, Kolkata (Ultra Sound Conference)
2002: IATO, Kolkata. (Indian Association of Tour Operators)
2001: OPTHACON, Kolkata. (Ophthalmology Conference)
2000: IRACON, Kolkata.
1999: Medicine for the Millennium, Kolkata.
1999: Platinum Jubilee Conference of the Indian Chemical Society, Kolkata.
1999: EMW-2000. Jamshedpur.
1995: 82 nd Science Congress, Kolkata.
1991: United Nations Conference on Environment, New Delhi.
1991: World Conference on Total Quality, New Delhi.
1991: 45 th Joint Conference Association of the Physicians of India, Jabalpur.
1989: ISELDECS’87, IIT, Kharagpur.
1987: 9 th Congress of the Association of Radiation Oncologists, Srinagar.
1987: 47 th Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics.
1987: R&D Conference of the Institute of Engineers, Ranchi.
1984: Diamond Jubilee Conference of the Indian Chemical Society, Kolkata.

Performances on TV:

• Performing regularly for the Doordarshan since 1981.
• Two recitals in National Program of Dance. Regular UGC programs.
• Innumerable recitals for Door Darshan D7, Door Darshan 1 (National), Ztv, Etv, CCCN, Tara Bangla, Taaza Khabar, Alpha Bangla and others.
• Performed for ARD, Germany, MTV, Hungary, BBC and many TV stations in the USA.

Talks:

Spoken on Dance at various Universities, Rotary and other major Clubs, Tourism Programs, Colleges and Universities, Museums, Seminars and Conferences and the Radio in India, USA, USSR and the BBC.

Membership of Professional Bodies, Committees, Social Service Organizations and Editorship of Journals:

• Member, Advisory Board, West Bengal State Music Academy
• Member, Advisory Board, Calcutta Cultural Center.
• Member, Executive Committee, West Bengal Akademi for Dance Drama Music and the Visual Arts (WB Branch of Sangeet Natak Akademi.)
• Honorary Secretary, Ananda Chandrika (A Cultural Organization with branches in many parts of WB)
• Edited the Uday Shankar Centenary folder published by the Rabindra Bharati University (December 2000).
• As Head of the Department of Dance, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, Editor of the Departmental Journal and member of all important Committees at the University including the Higher Degree Committee, the Faculty Council, Board of Studies, etc.
• Member, Executive Committee of Surnandan Bharati, Sarba Bharatiya Sangeet Parishad and Sura Bharati Sangeet Parishad.
• Member, Alumnae Association of Loreto House School and Calcutta University PG English Department.
• Member, Dance Group Federation.
• Honorary Member, Bengali Society of Florida, USA.
• Advisor, Cultural Committee, Rotary Club of Calcutta.
• Served as the Convener, Culture for the Biswa Banga Sammelan Millennium Festival.
• Formerly, Member, Executive Committee, Anti-Pollution Society of India.
• Formerly, Member, Executive Committee, West Bengal Academy of Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts.
• Served in the roles of International Service Officer, Secretary & President of the Inner Wheel Club of Calcutta SE.
• Served in the District Cultural Committee of Inner Wheel and Rotary International District 3290
• Chairman, District Affairs and Pubic Relations, Rotary Club of Calcutta.
• Artistic Director for Kathak Mahotsav 2000, organized by the Kathak Kendra, New Delhi.
• President’s Guide (Bharat Scouts and Guides).

Choreographic Creations: (Year of launching mentioned)

2004: Joyodhwani
2003: East West Encounter
2002: Chena Chena Gaan
2001: Varsha
2000: Vasant Utsav
1999: Raag Maala
1998: Nazrul Nana Range
1997: Amrapali
1997:Chitra Jhankar
1996: East Meets West
1994: Durga
1988: Bishwa Beena Robey
1988: Baanshi

Publication:

• Books: Kathak Mahotav-2000: A Monograph. Published by the Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. (English)
• Article on Bhakti in Indian Classical Dances, in the volume Bharatiya Bhakti, published by the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad.
• Articles: Contributions to major Journals over the last few years:
• Regular contributor to the Arts (Dance) Section of The Statesman since 1983. Also special contributions to The Statesman Miscellany and The Statesman Festival Number 1990.
• West Bengal (Special Tagore Birth Anniversary Issue 2001): “Tagore and Dance”
• Desh (Special Issue on the Golden Jubilee of Indian Independence in August 1977): Article on the Evolution of the Classical Dance Forms in the Post Independence Era. (Bengali) & article on Kathak in Desh Binodon 1987 (Special Issue on Dance).
• Aajkaal: Regular contributor.
• Paribartan: Was a regular contributor.
• Sananda: Contributed reviews on major dance events.
• Bartaman: Regular contributor.
• Nandan: Articles on Kathak in two special issues on dance.

Awards & Honours received:

1) 1981: Title of Singar Mani conferred by the Sur Singar Samsad, Bombay.
2) 1982: Dishari Award for Best Dancer of the Year adjudged by All India Critics’ Association
3) 1983: Honored by Bangiya Pandit Parishad
4) 1983: Honored by IISCLO, Benaras.
5) 1983: Award by Sanskriti Parishad, Durgapur.
6) 1985: Award by Michael Madhusudan Dutt
7) 1987: Title of Nritya Urvashi conferred by the Punjab Nritya Academy, Patiala.
8) 1987: Honored by Saikat, San Diego, USA.
9) 1987: Honored by the Moscow News Club.
10) 1989: Citation for Outstanding service from District Governor Shyamal Datta of RI Dist. 329.
11) 1989: Indo-Soviet Maitree award.
12) 1989: Michael Madhusudan Dutta Memorial award.
13) 1994: Mahakal Sanman by Madhuban, Ujjain.
14) 1989: Citation for Outstanding Service from District Governor Kamal Seth of RI Dist. 329.
15) 1989: Citation for Outstanding Service from District Governor L.R.Vasudeva of RI Dist. 307.
16) 1994: Honored by the Moscow News Club.
17) 1994: Citation by Nupur Jhankar, Ontario, Canada.
18) 1994: Outstanding Young Person Of Calcutta, awarded by the North Calcutta Jaycees.
19) May 15, 1994: The day was proclaimed Amita Dutt Day in the city of Cincinnati, USA. The Mayor presented a Certificate for Outstanding Contribution in the field of International Understanding through the Arts and presented the Key to the City of Cincinnati thereby proclaiming the recipient an Honorary Citizen.
20) 1994: Citation at the North American Bengali Conference, Chicago.
21) 1996: Citation at the North American Bengali Conference, Houston.
22) 1996: Dishari Award for Best Dancer of the Year.
23) Aug. 24, 1998: Outstanding Citizen of Calcutta conferred by the English Speaking Union on the occasion of the 308 th Birthday of Calcutta. (Other two recipients: Ajoy Chakraborty & Ananda Shankar).
24) Nov. 28, 1998: Conferred title of Nrityanandan for life-long achievement in dance by Suranandan Bharati: Rathindra Mancha, Calcutta.
25) Sep. 10, 2000: Felicitated for life-long achievement and contribution in the field of Kathak by Nrityam Shikshayatan.
26) Jan. 15, 2001: Felicitated for life-long achievement by the Rabindra Bharati Soiety, Kolkata. Chief Guest: H.E. Sri Viren J. Shah, Governor of West Bengal: Rathindra Mancha, Kolkata.
27) Feb. 3, 2001: Awarded Nritya Sagar Title by Surabharati Sangeet Parishad, Kolkata.
28) May 2001: Felicitated by Braja Sundari Mahila Samity.
29) Feb 2002: Felicitated by Angana, Kolkata.
30) March 2002: Awarded title of Jewel of Bengal by Rotary Club of Calcutta, Victoria.
31) April 2002: Vocational excellence award given by Rotary Clubs of Bhowanipur, Lansdowne and Cossipore.
32) August 2002: Vocational excellence award given by Rotary Club of Narendrapur.

Dance Tours Abroad:

1987: USSR
1988: USA.
1994: USA
1995: UK
1995: Italy
1996: USA
1999: USA
2000: Middle East
2002: USA
2003: USA