WATCH: Globally acclaimed Kathak Rockers set to bring heat to South Africa

GLOBALLY acclaimed dance group, Kathak Rockers, is headed to South Africa for a limited season of performances and workshops that will play an important role in forging an ongoing creative relationship between South Africa and India. His will be taking place at the Lyric at Gold Reef City on July 27 and 28.

Hosted by Johannesburg-based Jazzy Masala Creative, the tour offers dance aficionados and those who relish being immersed in different cultural experiences the opportunity to witness Kathak Rocker’s electrifying Indian dance fusion performances live.

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Led by Kumar Sharma (India) and Svetlana Tulasi (Russia), Kathak Rockers offer up a spectacular interpretation of Kathak, one of the major forms of Indian classical dance. As witnessed on multiple platforms (including many different performance-focused reality television shows in India), Kathak Rockers inject contemporary energy and passion into this historic dance form.

“We are thrilled to be bringing Kathak Rockers to South Africa,” says Versha Magan, founder of Jazzy Masala and a well-known performer, dance Guru , choreographer and actor. “Experiencing a performance by this troupe is guaranteed to lift spirits and leave audience members with a lifelong love for this particular form of dance.”

Through Jazzy Masala, Magan has long believed in the power of collaboration and cultural exchange across global markets – and the Kathak Rocker tour is no different. In the spirit of partnership, the live performances will include six dancers from India and ten from South Africa, providing a fantastic showcase of collaboration and creative skills exchange in action. And, alongside two unmissable performances, Jazzy Masala is hosting two workshops that will focus on the transfer of skills between the troupe and a range of South African-based participants, from professional dancers to dance schools and artists. Lasting between four and six hours, each workshop will include face-to-face learning and transfer of skills, and an opportunity to interact with the Kathak Rockers.

The workshops will play a role in Magan’s aim to promote the exchange of learning between India and South African artists – and to stimulate the development of the Kathak artform in South Africa, and raise its standards of performance and practice.

Co-leader of Kathak Rockers’ tour to South Africa, Kumar Sharma, is a national scholarship holder in Kathak from India’s Ministry of Culture and an active researcher of around 20 Folk Dances of India. Among many other accomplishments, Sharma has choreographed multiple performances for Indian reality television shows including DID Super Moms, Jhalak Dikhla Ja Six and Seven, Boogi Woogi, India’s Got Talent Five and more current, Super Dancer chapter three on Sony TV.

Born into a mixed Russian and Indian family, Svetlana Tulasi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Kathak Dance from Prayag Sangeet Samiti University of Indian Classical Music & Dance (Allahabad, India). One of her many career highlights was performing at the opening ceremony of ISSF World Cup 2019 in Delhi, together with Kumar Sharma and Kathak Rockers.

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“I am confident that the upcoming Kathak Rockers tour to South Africa will play a significant role in creating an international platform for our own artists to perform with this incredible troupe,” says Magan. “It will also further strengthen the arts and culture relationship between India and South Africa, which already has a rich history and deep connection.

“The global space of collaboration is ever increasing, and countries need to seize the opportunity to grow and connect. Having the Kathak Rockers here drives this new age thinking of bringing the global to South Africa,” concludes Magan.