Chitresh Das Dance Company

We have had very bad experience with Rina Mehta from this school. My daughter was enrolled for her classes in Irvine. While the classes themselves were fine, the organization was a disaster. Parents were forced to organize everything by themselves. Additionally Ms Mehta decided to travel to India but failed to organize back up teachers properly and other than a couple of classes conducted by instructors traveling from another place, no classes were conducted. What’s more, they failed to refund the fees. We have sent a couple of emails requesting a refund, but Ms Mehta does not bother to respond. We have similar feedback from other parents as well. Stay away!

My daughter started kathak with a home based teacher and learnt for 2 years with her and not seeing any growth potential over there I moved her to Chhandam school which was a little more expensive. The start was a little shaky with teachers changing every week but once we got Doli di as our teacher then there was no looking back. My daughter prospered with her and we took multiple classes and then were able to graduate to a level that was taught by Charlotte di. My daughter learned a lot from her and was ultimately selected in their prestigious Youth company program in a short time frame of 2 years. Youth company program is a totally different level of learning and my daughter is privileged to be learning directly from Pt. Chitresh Das and teachers like Seibe di and Rachna di. And we are fortunate that as eager parents who watch most of the classes we get to see guruji teaching with all his passion and zest.
In this school I feel my daughter is not only learning dance but so much about our culture, graciousness, humility. It delights me when they sing bhajans and dance on them. The environment feels very spiritual like where so many kathakas are invoking Gods. My daughter hopes that she can get admission in some good university in the area when she graduates so she can continue her kathak journey with the school.
As in every big non-​profit organization there are times when we feel dis-​oriented but rather than being frustrated, I try to put myself in their shoes to understand their position and pitching in to help whenever its possible for me.
The other thing that is a big plus for me here is the company dance shows. I have attended several of them with my family and there are no other shows which are that professional and beautiful in the way they represent our culture. Ramayana, which was staged 2 years back strengthened my belief that I wanted my daughter to be a part of this for years. We are very happy to be a part of the Chhandam family and will continue to be so for years to come.

Chitresh Das Dance Company and Chhandam School of Kathak is a dance school par excellence. If you want to experience and train in Kathak and not compromise any of its elements this school is for you! Trained by the maestro, Pandit Chitresh Das who came to the USA with a vision to build a community around Kathak, each of the teachers are equally passionate about passing on this art form to the kids. The school provides training not just in dance but has a holistic approach to the art form, focusing on philosophy, math, vocals, and music training as well. Panditji’s concept of Kathak Yoga is nourishment for body, mind and soul. The school provides a solid foundation to all youth and builds self-​esteem, and confidence.
My daughter looks forward to classes, and takes over 5 hours of instruction each week. For her this has become a way of life. Very few Kathak schools today offer such training. Combine this with a student with the right attitude and commitment and willingness to give 200% and then watch how they grow!
A word about their productions: Extraordinary and each one is a must watch…
The school and its staff are truly a very integral part of me and my daughter’s life.

This dance company is very near and dear to my heart. At the ripe old age of eight, my mother enrolled me in Kathak classes in a small studio in an elementary school in Fremont. True to my embrace of ABCD (Amercian Born Confused Desi) nature, I was totally opposed to the idea of wearing Indian clothes (a salwar kameez) and dancing among nine other little Indian girls, yet as my study and practice of the dance, tradition, and amazingly rich culture continued over the years, I began to love the artform.
As one of six classical Indian dances, Kathak is known for its intricacy in footwork, facial expression, and storytelling of parts of India’s two epic poems, the Ramayana and the Mahabharat. TB Con’t.

Kathak classical Indian dance is one of the most demanding dance classes I have ever taken.
Kathak is among the six major classical dances of India and one of the most dynamic theater arts in the world. The word Kathak is derived from katha, meaning «the art of storytelling.»
Chitresh is a task Master. I admire his humanitarian work as well as the embodiment of a dancing god.
I love the facial expressions a dancer has to use to tell the stories and tales of Krishna and India. The best lesson though is learning the rhythm and time counts, and music to the art form. I was very happy when I received my blessed ankle bells.
The pageantry, the costumes, and the history is what draws me to this school.