Kathak dancer and harmonium player, Amika Kushwaha performs with Cassius Khan.

Kathak dance requires immense strength, perfection and grace. Kushwaha’s powerful body movements, lightning fast “Tatkars” ( footwork patterns) and delicate grace is what has mesmerized audiences throughout Canada. She has graced the stage with her incredible talents notably at the prestigious Next Fest Dance Festival in Edmonton (2006), the Indian Electronica Festival in Toronto (2007), and the Vancouver Island Folk Music festival in 2008.

Kushwaha’s advanced knowledge of the discipline has also made her a well-synchronized harmonium player with the ability to create complex musical patterns and has played in numerous folk music festivals in Canada.

In addition to dancing and performing music, Amika Kushwaha holds an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and is a sought after Kathak instructor in Western Canada. Her dance school, Ta-Deem Danceworks, was inaugurated in Sept. 2005. She currently accepts all levels of students and teaches in Western Canada.

AMIKA KUSHWAHA has been dancing for over 25 years as a serious student of the Lucknow Gharana (school) of Kathak. Her formal dance training includes the Shri Ram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in New Delhi, India, under the guidance of Smt. Vaswati Misra and Pt. Ram Mohan Misra.

Kushwaha is one of the few performers in Canada who displays this art form with live musical accompaniment, which is rare treat in this country. Her speciality is her uncanny intuition on stage, from her darting eyes to her quick feet, creating intricate patterns and interweaving her ancient dance form with literally any form of music.

NEW VIDEOS:

Click here to watch Amika Kushwaha performs Kathak to a Thumri in Raga Des

Clich here to watch her perform compositions in drut teentaal in a live concert in 2007.