MANJARI CHATURVEDI.
BIOGRAPHY
MANJARI CHATURVEDI is a leading exponent of the Indian classical dance form of Kathak and is acclaimed for being the creator and ONLY performing artist of Sufi Kathak. She has combined the mysticism of Sufi traditions with classical Indian dance to create a stunning new school of performance called Sufi Kathak. Thus, setting a historical step in the field of performing arts through the creation of a completely new artform, which remains original and yet follows the precedents of mystical traditions that are nearly 700 years old. In the last decade, Manjari has performed in more than 200 concerts all over the world including Europe (France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, U.K. & Ireland), the Middle East (Dubai, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Kuwait), South East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka) and Central Asia
(Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan) along with Australia and America.
MANJARI & KATHAK
Manjari Chaturvedi, classical Kathak danseuse and a performing artist for over a decade, is an extraordinary young dancer, adding subtle innovations to the Kathak repertoire while preserving the tenets of the classical style. With her enchanting stage presence, she is known for her intense, sensitive and graceful Kathak dance presentations.
A danseuse representing Lucknow gharana of Kathak and postgraduate in Environmental Sciences, Manjari embodies the Awadhi ethos, bridging the gap between tradition and modernity. Her performances preserve the doctrine of classical temple and darbari forms, yet they are accessible to audiences across the world. Manjari is trained in classical Kathak by Guru Pandit Arjun Mishra. She has developed the detailing of abhinaya (expressions) under Smt. Kalanidhi Narayan and Smt. Priyadarshini Govind, and has worked at Nrityagaram in association with Guru Protima Bedi and Guru Kumudini Lakhia. Manjari is an empanelled artist with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
MANJARI & SUFI KATHAK
Manjari Chaturvedi is the creator and the only performing artist of Sufi Kathak. Conceptualise and created by Manjari, Sufi Kathak has taken 13 years of her intense work in Sufi music and classical dance. Introducing the mystique of Sufism in dance, she traveled to countries like Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan and worked with artists from Iran, Turkey and Morocco to study the music and dance forms related with Sufi thought. Bred of Manjari’s knowledge and experience, Sufi Kathak melds the philosophical depth of Sufi poetry with the narrative beauty and grace of classical Indian dance forms to evolve a new school of performance that uses classical dance to narrate and interpret Sufi poetry. But even as Manjari is acclaimed for her efforts to create a new classical dance form, it has been an arduous journey for her as she trod upon a path not traveled earlier in classical art forms to create the emergence of a completely new art form based on a thought that was, till now, not extensively used in dance! This led to the evolution of Sufi Kathak, which works only on this one thought – the concept of formless Almighty. Sufi Kathak is a dance form that spans from earthly romance of Hindi folk to the evolved Sufi imagery of love in Persian poetry, from a beloved in flesh and blood to the abstract presence of the Almighty, from a form to formlessness. Making Sufi Kathak, the Dance of the Soul. While in existing classical Indian dance forms there is a focus on a beloved in flesh and blood, in physical form, it is the abstract presence of the Almighty that becomes the focal point for the Sufi Kathak dancer. Akin to the moving meditation of the whirling dervishes in the Sufi tradition, the unique dance form called Sufi Kathak by Manjari Chaturvedi is representative of the great Sufi traditions of the subcontinent. Manjari, in her peerless journey, seamlessly blends her dance with diverse cross cultural music in exciting collaborations. She was trained in classical Kathak dance of Lucknow gharana, and then subsequently learnt the nuances of other classical Indian dance forms - the base being the natya shastra - that is followed by all classical dances. Manjari trained in Abhinaya learning the nuances of use of mudras from the bhartanatyam genre to enrich Sufi Kathak. With her own efforts, Manjari has made the dance form richer by adding new dimensions to the dance form with varying music creating a wide repertoire, which was earlier never a part of any classical dance traditions by aligning Sufi Kathak with the Sufi music of Rajasthan, Kashmir, Qawwalli of Awadh, poetry of Bulleh Shah of Punjab and spiritual music of Iran. Through more than a decade of Manjari’s dedicated endeavours, Sufi Kathak, now, has its own visual entity separate from other Indian classical dance forms. The poetry is separate, the use of language, the use of movements, the music genre to be used, the costume & jewelry and the aesthetics are all specific for a Sufi Kathak dancer. Sufi Kathak by Manjari transcends all religions to become a link bridging God and the devotees; taking one far away from materialism. It is synonymous with serenity, piety, mental peace and divine power, which is a symbol of truth. It is attracting the new generation at the international level, breaking barriers as an example of unity in diversity.
MANJARI & THE SUFI KATHAK FOUNDATION
The Sufi Kathak Foundation is a non-profit registered society founded by Manjari Chaturvedi to create awareness for Sufi Kathak and other related ancient performing art traditions. The Foundation works towards providing scholarships to students pursuing classical music and dance, and also pension and medical insurance to needy artists. The aim of Sufi Kathak Foundation is to promote spiritual dance and music and world cultural unity, also initiating children and orienting the youth to become self-employed through arts - dance and music, and evolve a humanist outlook. The main objective of the foundation is to create centers for spiritual dance and music, folk & classical dance and organise training classes, workshops and musical concerts to promote Sufi Kathak and classical music in India as well as across the world. The society\'s mission is also to provide financial and technical assistance to retired artist as well as to needy students who are committed towards Sufi music and dance.
INTERNATIONAL CONCERTS & FESTIVALS
Royal Festival Hall London, UK, April 2011
Global Fusion, Muscat, UAE, March, 2011
Global Fusion – Dubai, UAE, January 2010
Sufi Kathak Concert at the National Theatre – Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 2010
Salaam Bahrain - Bahrain, May 2008
The Nehru Centre Concert - London, UK, July 2007
Al Falaj Auditorium - Muscat, April 2006
Indian Consulate Auditorium - Dubai, April 2006
Recital at the Indian School - Abu Dhabi, UAE, April 2006
Zumikon Auditorium - Zurich, Switzerland, April 2006
Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan - London, UK, April 2006
Helix Auditorium - Dublin, Ireland, April 2006
Community Centre Concert - Vienna, Austria, April 2006
Sufi Kathak Recital - Koln, Germany, April 2006
Church Hall - Rome, Italy, April 2006
Concert at Amusement Park - Kuwait, May 2006
Doha Theatre - Doha, Qatar, May 2006
Sufi Kathak - Bahrain, May 2006
Kuala Lumpur Concert – KL, Malaysia, May 2006
Sufi Kathak Concert - Singapore, May 2006
Sydney Opera House - Sydney, Australia, February 2005
Melbourne Art Gallery - Melbourne, Australia, February 2005
Judith Wright Centre for Performing Arts - Brisbane, Australia, February 2005
The Convent - Daylesford, Australia, February 2005
Belgais - Portugal, February 2004
Castelo Branco - Portugal, February 2004
Sufi Kathak at Elphinston Theatre - Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 2001
Indian Cultural Centre Concert - Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 2001
Bethlodan - Kuwait, September 2000
Festival of India -Tashkent, Uzbekistan, September 2000
Osh Festival For Peace and Respect - Kyrgyzstan, September 2000
Festival of India - Ashgabad, Turkmenistan, September 2000
INDIAN CONCERTS & FESTIVALS
MSSI fundraiser- New Delhi, November 2011
Mehboob-e-Ilahi- New Delhi, September 2011
Legends of India – New Delhi, September 2011
Sufi Kathak – Jaipur March, 2011
Jahan-e-Khusrau, New Delhi, March 2011
SAF Games opening, Dehradun, January 2011
AICC Plenary, Burari, December 2010
Radha Raas – New Delhi, November 2010
Chiragh-e-Dehli –New Delhi, September 2010
INTACH Festival – Murshidabad, March 2010
Radha Raas – New Delhi, March 2010
Ishraq : The Illumination – New Delhi, December 2009
Curtain Raiser for Commonwealth Games at the Qutb Minar – New Delhi, October 2009
Sufi Kathak Concert at the Bahai Lotus Temple, Delhi, September 2009
Rang-E-Ishq – New Delhi, September 2009
Nazo: An Ode to the Courtesan - New Delhi, July 2009
Sufi Kathak Concert – New Delhi, February 2009
Aman-E-Bagh - Rajasthan, November 2008
Bhakti Rang - Jaipur, November 2008
Christian Dior Launch Event – New Delhi, October 2008
Bhubaneshwar Music Circle Concert - Bhubaneshwar, September 2008
Central Academy - Kota, August 2008
Shaam-E-Awadh at the Town Hall – Kolkata, March 2008
Raqs-E-Ruh at Modern School – New Delhi, February 2008
Sangeet Samaroh hosted by Pandit Jasraj – Hyderabad, December 2007
YPO Concert at the Zenana Mahal – Udaipur, November 2007
Kapurthala Heritage Festival - Kapurthala, October 2007
HT PACE Concert - New Delhi, August 2007
Sufi Festival - Bhopal, July 2007
Embassy of France Concert - New Delhi, April 2007
Concert at Tata Theatre, NCPA – Mumbai, April 2007
Aero Show - Bangalore, March 2007
Thalam Cultural festival - Thrissur, March 2007
P J Anthony Memorial Concert - Cochin, March 2007
Hanuman Jayanti Festival hosted by Murari Bapu - Mahua, Gujarat, March 2007
Patiala Heritage Festival - Patiala, February 2007
Concert for Citibank at Taj Khema- Agra, February 2007
Kartik Purnima Concert - Udaipur, November 2006
Concert at Purana Qila - New Delhi, November 2006
Sufi Kathak Concert at Tagore hall - Ahmedabad, October 2006
Ford Foundation Concert - New Delhi, October 2006
Kathak Presentation for the Anart Foundation - Ahmedabad, October 2006
Ravindra Bhawan Concert - Hyderabad, August 2006
Sufi Kathak Concert for the MSSI - Hyderabad, August 2006
ICICI Bank Concert - Goa, August 2006
ICCR Sufi Music Festival - Srinagar, June 2006
Daaman e Awadh, Concert for Microsoft - Lucknow, April 2006
Khajuraho Dance Festival, March 2006
Kathak presentation at Taj Polo - New Delhi, March 2006
Virasat Music Festival - Amber Fort, Jaipur, January 2006
Parliament House Concert - New Delhi, December 2005
Doordarshan Awards - New Delhi, November 2005
ICCR International Sufi Festival - New Delhi, March 2005
Fund Raiser for MSSI India at The Park - New Delhi, 2005
Taj Mahal 350th Anniversary Celebration - Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, 2004
Doordarshan Awards at the Siri Fort Auditorium - New Delhi, November 2004
Virasat Music Festival - Jaipur, Rajasthan 2004
Leo Burnett Concert - Mumbai, 2004
Raqs: Sufi Kathak for Natya Ballet Centre - New Delhi, September 2004
Mudra Festival for the Kerala Cultural Centre - Trivandrum, September 2004
Ganga Mahotsav - Varanasi, November 2004
Concert at the President’s House, Rashtrapati Bhawan - New Delhi, August 2004
Kathak Presentation at the Embassy of Turkey - New Delhi, 2004
Sufi Kathak Concert - Calcutta, 2004
Jahan-e-Khusrau - New Delhi, March 2001, 2002, 2003 & 2004
Lucknow Mahotsav - Lucknow, December 1998 & 2003
Concert for Steinmetz Diamonds – Mumbai, September 2003
Chinmaya Bhakti Pravah at the Chinmaya Mission – New Delhi, October 2003
Sufi Kathak Concert – Ambala, February 2003
Neemrana Fort Palace Concert - Rajasthan, 2003
Devigarh Concert - Rajasthan, 2003
Maheshwar Music Festival - Ahilya Fort, Maheshwar, February 2000 & 2002
Antarnaad Concert at the Siri Fort Auditorium – New Delhi, April 2001
Qutb Festival - New Delhi, October 2001
Neemrana Fort Palace Concert - Rajasthan, December 2000
Tajjalli Concert – New Delhi, November 2000
Concert at the Embassy of Greece – New Delhi, 2000
Jaam-E-Ishq, WPO Conference at Taj Palace - New Delhi, 2000
Sufi Kathak at IHC – New Delhi, January 2000
Shaam-E-Awadh – Lucknow, March 1999
Yoga Mahotsav - Haridwar, 1999
Taj Mahotsav - Agra, February 1999 & 1995
Kathak Mahotsav - New Delhi, 1995
Kathak Samaroh - Lucknow, 1995