Nritta Katha School of Kathak Dance
Parna Basu Artistic Director
Parna Basu is a leading practitioner of the Kalka-Bindadin Lucknow Gharana of Kathak, a classical North Indian dance tradition. She is a prime disciple of the legendary Pt. Birju Maharaj, training under him for over a decade. An accomplished artist, Parna was the recipient of the National Scholarship of Culture (Ministry of Culture) and a “Grade A” artist for Doordarshan (National Television of India) since 2001. She has performed all over the world, both as a soloist and as part of Pt. Birju Maharaj’s select ensemble
After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 2000s, Parna established the Nritta Katha school of Kathak Dance. She endeavors to inspire her students to develop a graceful physical presence based on core strength, build numerical cognition to seek joy in the delightful patterns all around us, and find their path to self-actualization through a classical art form.
Inspirational blessings from Maharaj ji
“My heart filled up with joy…old memories came gushing back. Your dance is just as beautiful as it was earlier, just like you learned. Recitations were just as flawless…and every moment was so beautiful. May god keep you well. Practice regularly”
– Pt Birju Maharaj, reacting to a recent performance by Parna
Testimonials
Few words from other Kathak icons and artists.