School of Dance
What is the School of Dance?
The ACA School of Dance offers instruction in classical Indian dance forms, with a focus on Kathak — one of the most celebrated dance traditions of North India. Our school serves students of all ages and skill levels across multiple locations in Central Florida and Tampa.
Kathak
This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or story tellers. These bards, performing in village squares and temple courtyards, mostly specialized in recounting mythological and moral tales from the scriptures, and embellished their recitals with hand gestures and facial expressions. It was quintessential theatre, using instrumental and vocal music along with stylized gestures, to enliven the stories.
With the advent of Mughal culture, Kathak became a sophisticated chamber art. Patronized by art loving rulers, the practitioners of Kathak worked at refining its dramatic and rhythmic aspects, delighting elite audiences with their mastery over rhythm and the stylized mime.
The technique of Kathak today is characterized by fast rhythmic footwork set to complex time cycles. The footwork is matched by the accompanying percussion instruments such as tabla and pakhawaj, and the dancer and percussionists often indulge in a virtuoso display of rhythmic wizardry. The dance movements include numerous pirouettes executed at lightning speed and ending in statuesque poses. The interpretative portion, based on tales of Radha and Krishna and other mythological lore, contains subtle gestures and facial expressions. Lucknow, Banaras and Jaipur are recognized as the three schools, or gharanas, where this art was nurtured and where the interpretative and rhythmic aspects were refined to a high standard.
Kathak Yearly Exam — Students participate in an annual Kathak examination to assess and celebrate their progress.
Kathak and Flamenco — An exciting new show exploring the fascinating parallels between Kathak and Flamenco dance traditions.
Locations
- Lake Mary
- Winter Park (Orlando)
- Tampa
Our Instructors
Sudeshna Maulik — Creative Director & Lead Instructor
Sudeshna Maulik is a spectacularly talented Indian Classical dancer based in Canada and India. She maintains an active performing career that spans North America, Europe and Asia. Sudeshna has been studying Indian dance since the age of seven, beginning her training in Calcutta under Pt. Chitresh Das, and going on to study with ShriRam Bharatiya Kala Kendra in New Delhi and at the National Kathak Institute under the mentorship of Padma Bhushan Birju Maharaj.
She is a graded artiste in Delhi Doordarshan (National Television) and has performed in Russia, China, Taiwan, the United States, and all over Europe. She has given workshops and lecture-demonstrations all over the world and has been recognized with grants from the Canada Council for Arts and the Quebec Arts Council. She established the Montreal Indian Dance Ensemble, a collective of talented dancers dedicated to propagating Indian dance.
Disha Shukla — Coordinator & Assistant Instructor (Tampa)
Ekta Singh — Assistant Instructor (Orlando)
Class Schedule
Lake Mary
- Beginner Kids: 3x a month | Sundays 6:00–7:30 PM | 1.5 hours
Orlando (Winter Park)
- Intermediate Teens/Adults: Once a month | Sundays 6:00–8:00 PM
Tampa
- Beginner Kids: 2x a month | Saturdays 10:00 AM–12:00 PM | 2 hours
- Beginner Adults: 2x a month | Saturdays 12:30–2:00 PM | 1.5 hours
Join Us
Interested in enrolling or learning more? Contact us or fill out our registration form.