Sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the popular Kathak dancer Prachee Shah’s dance group will be performing three shows in Egypt from 30 July to 3 August.
The performances will be held at Alexandria Creativity Centre in the coastal city of Alexandria on 30 July, Beni Sweif Cultural Palace on 1 August in the town of Beni Sweif 100km south of Cairo, and Sayed Darwish Theatre in the Academy of Arts in Giza on 3 August.
Kathak dance is no stranger to Egyptian audiences. In 2014, another ‘singarmani’, Marami Medhi, graced the stages of Cairo and Alexandria, performing in the second edition of India by the Nile, the multidisciplinary annual festival bringing Indian arts to Egypt. With Prachee’s performance however, it will be the first time for Kathak or any other classical dance coming from India to be introduced to the audiences of Beni Sweif.
Led by Prachee, the classical dance group will be accompanied by harmonium player Guru Ganesh Hiralal, Sraboni Chaudhuri, a renowned vocalist, Tabla player Shripad Jail and Farooque Khan on Sarangi.
With a Masters in Kathak and having set a Guinness World Record for 93 Kathak spins in one minute, Prachee hails from the Jaipur Gharana.
The dancer-turned-actress has given over 200 performances in India, US, UK and South Africa, and has garnered numerous awards and recognitions, including titles such as ‘Sringarmani’ and ‘Nritya Urvashi’ which are given to the best dancers in the field. She is also a very popular face on Indian television, having acted in a number of popular soap operas.
Watani International
28 July 2015