Posted on 24 October 2026:

💫 #YathraRhythm — Poetry in Motion

Dr. Sucharita Datta Ghata: The Kathak Exponent Keeping Kolkata’s Classical Dance Tradition Alive

From gold medals at Rabindra Bharati University to stages across the world, a dancer’s lifelong devotion to Kathak and the Guru-Shishya Parampara

Some dancers perform. Others preserve, teach and build. Dr. Sucharita Datta Ghata of Kolkata does all of these, and her career shows what lifelong dedication to Indian classical dance can achieve.

A Foundation of Brilliant Training

Dr. Sucharita Datta Ghata is a Kathak exponent and a “TOP”-Grade Artiste of Doordarshan. She is empanelled with the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and SPIC MACAY. Her art has earned her recognition well beyond India.

Her training came from some of Kathak’s most respected names: Vidushi Amita Dutt, Vidushi Susmita Mishra, Vidushi Saswati Sen and the legendary Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj Ji. She is also a trained Bharatanatyam dancer.

A Scholar as Much as a Dancer

Her academic record is just as remarkable. At Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, she:

• Ranked First Class First in M.A. in Kathak
• Won gold medals in Kathak at every level from Pre-Degree to M.A.
• Earned her Doctorate in Kathak
• Was named a National Scholar and Junior Research Fellow by the Government of India

Among the honours along her journey is the “Singaar Mani” title, awarded by Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai.

On Stages Around the World

Her performances have taken her to prestigious dance festivals across India and abroad, including the USA, Canada, South Korea, Sydney (Australia) and Bangkok, carrying the grace of Kathak to audiences around the world.

Teacher, Mentor and Institution-Builder

Today, Sucharita teaches as Kathak faculty at The Uttarpara Sangeet Chakra. She is also an Academic Council member of the Sarva Bhartiya Sangeet-o-Sanskriti Parishad and an active examiner at Rabindra Bharati University.

In 2007, she founded the Nritya Dhrupadi Music & Dance Research Centre, with the goal of preserving the heritage of Indian classical dance, especially Kathak and Bharatanatyam. The centre has created choreographic productions that include:

• Ashtanayika
• Navaras
• Holi
• Panchabhoota
• Sravan Gatha
• Amritavarshini

PARAMPARA 2026: Five Dance Forms, One Stage

Her most recent achievement is the fourth edition of PARAMPARA 2026, the annual dance festival presented by Nritya Dhrupadi with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kolkata and Infosys Foundation, Bengaluru. The mega event brought Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathakali and Gaudiya Nritya together on one stage, woven by the living thread of the Guru-Shishya Parampara.

Few festivals attempt to share a single stage across five classical traditions. PARAMPARA 2026 did, and its impact was captured in these words:

“The fourth edition of PARAMPARA brought Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathakali and Gaudiya Nritya together through devotional invocations, traditional compositions, original choreography and live music. The disciples of Nritya Dhrupadi showed an institution devoted to nurturing young dancers and sustaining the Guru-Shishya tradition.” — Sucharita Datta Ghata

It is a fitting tribute to an organiser who builds platforms for her students and for the tradition itself.

💫  #YathraRhythm