Sixteen-year-old, Dhriti Swarup, shishya of the esteemed guru, Padmashri Dr. Shovana Narayan performed her kathak ‘Manch Pravesh’ at the C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi. Dhriti started her training in kathak as a little girl of seven, under Guru Tirath Ajmani, who is Shovana ji’s Guru-Bhai. Even at this tender age, she had a mind of her own, choosing kathak over Bollywood dance.

Under the aegis of ASAVARI, established by Shovanaji in 1979, Dhriti has been trained to be a highly proficient dancer replete with technical and abhinaya skills and an intense grounding in the theory of kathak. A staunch believer in guru-shishya parampara Shovana ji, has inculcated in Dhriti her own sensitivities of righteous practice and trust. Under her expert guidance and after 9 years of intense riyaaz, she performed her kathak ‘Manch Pravesh’ as she steps into the world of dance.

The Manch Pravesh was followed by the launch of a book- ‘Karana- A Kathak Perspective’ in which Dhriti has tried to interpret, under the guidance of her guru, the 108 Karanas of the Natyashastra, an ancient treatise on the performing arts written by Bharat Muni between approximately 500bce to 500ce.

The book invites anyone interested in dance to experience the karanas and their interpretation through the eyes of a kathak dancer. A visual treat of photographs and links to videos supported by simple text and Sanskrit translations make the book easy to understand for everyone. it presents a tiny window to an ocean of knowledge.