One of India’s leading Kathak artistes of her generation, Sanjukta Sinha is known for her technical expertise and fine sense of artistry. A solo dancer of distinction, she has also performed in ensembles and collaborated with several leading international names across various dance forms. She’s keen on creating contemporary expressions of dance based on Kathak. Born in Lucknow, Sinha perfomed in the 23rdGuru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2017 Festival here. During a chat with Orissa POST, Sinha tells about her childhood, how she started her Kathak journey and her relationship with Guru Kelucharan Mophapatra.
Q) How was it that you chose Kathak as the dance form of your choice?
I will say Kathak chose me rather than that I chose Kathak. Lucknow was famous for its tradition and history in Kathak dance, although I am from a Bengali family born in Lucknow. From childhood, I was encouraged to do dance by my parents who are very fond of music and dance. At first I was learning Bharatnatyam but later I took to Kathak. I started my journey at age eight.
Q) How do you look at Odissi?
As I said my family had always encouraged me to dance. If I had not chosen Kathak, I would definitely have chosen Odissi.
Q) What do you see is the big difference between Kathak and Odissi?
If we talk about similarity, then in every dance form the emotion and thoughts remain the same. In Kathak and Odissi, the use of mudras is similar, but the difference is in pose and style.
Q) What are the sweet memories you have about Guru Kelucharan?
I was very small when I first met Guruji in Mumbai, I was presenting a Kathak dance. He was so happy with my performance that he picked me up and said my performance had made him remember Sanjukta Panigrahi, an eminent Odissi dancer. That statement meant a lot to me.
Q) How many times have you visited Orissa?
I visited Orissa twice before for this performance.
Q) With times, dance forms have changed a lot. How do you see this?
In both life and dance, we must change with time. Change is constant. But with change we should also maintain the traditions, more so in the case of dance forms. This is possible only if you have learnt the art form by heart
and with dedication. Then only you can bring about changes to existing forms without disrupting the basic concepts and structure.