“Kathak is as important to me as breathing” – Sanjukta Sinha

Sanjukta Sinha is one of the leading exponents of Kathak in India today. After getting drawn to the dance form at the age of seven, Sanjukta decided to dedicate her entire life to it. In her three-decade long journey as a Kathak dancer, Sanjukta has performed in several reputed venues across the world, including the Royal Opera House in London.

In the last few years, Sanjukta has dedicatedly worked towards training and passing on many of the things she has learnt over the years to younger students. Today, she divides her time between doing shows, teaching students and propelling the growth of this dance form forward.

In this interview, Sanjukta talks about her love for kathak, journey as a dancer, running a dance company, making kathak more accessible to Gen Z, upcoming musical and more.

In the last few years, one has seen you making efforts towards making kathak more accessible to the younger generation.

I make it a point to maintain the sanctity of kathak as a form of dance. I am just bringing in a new vocabulary and letting the tradition grow. I am not combining it with other forms. Kathak is a very old Indian classical form which originated from different gharanas in Lucknow, Jaipur and Banaras. It comes from the times when devadasis used to dance in the temples. From there, it found a place for itself in the Mughal courts. Then, many dancers started performing it on stages. Back then, they did not get access to good lighting and sound equipment.

Now, we have access to good auditoriums, high-quality sound systems and premium lighting equipment. The form must also grow with the times. My approach towards the form has been to bring in certain elements that make it more relatable to the new generation. I have added certain layers that make it more appealing for them. I have been developing new movements. The productions we do feature modern lighting systems, music and costumes. We are doing these things to ensure younger people do say that classical is boring.

Do you see a lot of interest in kathak in the Gen Z?

I think we are still in a very good space. A lot of youngsters want to learn Indian classical dance. A lot of dancers, from different backgrounds like hip-hop, salsa, flamingo and folk, come to see my performances and tell me they would like to learn kathak as well. They know classical dance has an ever-lasting quality to it. In the age of social media, everybody’s patience level has come down. In the early years, children might lack the focus or the discipline to learn a dance form over a long period of time. What parents can do is motivate and encourage them to continue with the classes. There is no dearth of interest. The young generation wants to connect with Indian dance and music. So far, I have presented three productions at the NMACC. They were received very well. In many other notable productions put together by different artists in that space, one saw classical dance being at the forefront. The future looks very bright for Indian classical dance forms.  

In the year 2019, you set up the Sanjukta Sinha Dance Company in Ahmedabad.

Yes, this is our sixth year. We set up the institute towards the end of 2019. We started with just two dancers. Just a few months after the institute was inaugurated, Covid-19 happened. For two years, we, like the rest of the world, battled with Covid. It was a tough period but we managed to sail through it. I have always believed that if your teaching methods are strong and you give adequate opportunities to students to grow and excel, students will connect with the dance form. The guru shishya parampara has gone through several changes with time. Back then, the gurus expected the students to just learn. They were not given any exposure or the opportunity to perform on the stage for a very long time. One must not deprive the younger generation of getting on the stage for too long. While learning the form, they must also get the chance to perform it. My company is doing very well. Apart from students from India, we are teaching kathak to many from different countries like Japan, London, New Zealand and Canada.

Kathak has been a part of your life since childhood. As an artist, how would you describe your relationship with this dance form?

Kathak is as important to me as breathing. I have never been able to think of myself separately from my passion. Sanjukta is a dancer and dance is Sanjukta. Since the age of seven, I have been breathing, eating and sleeping dance. In all these thirty years, I never felt disconnected or bored with it. My religion is dance. This is a part of my existence.

What are you doing next?

I am working on a musical for the first time. It is a devotional musical and I have collaborated with a renowned singer on this project. It is a large scale production and I am very excited about it. Several international tours are planned for this year and the next year. I am also planning to launch a solo production soon.