Debashree Bhattacharya is a Kolkata based kathak practitioner, teacher and choreographer. Her inquisitive and imaginative mind resonates through her creative endeavours. She is an artist keen on understanding, analysing and redefining the kathak form on one hand and kathak informed body and mind on the other. She regularly performs in prestigious venues & festivals in India and have also performed in Tokyo, Durban, South Sudan, Lebanon, Georgia, London, Wales, Bangladesh, Kuwait and Qatar.
Debashree Bhattacharya is trained in kathak under Padmashree Guru Smt.Rani Karnaa.
An ‘A’ grade solo artist for Kolkata Doordarshan ,she is also registered with Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Sangeet Natak Academy and Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre. She has performed in Qatar, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Lebanon, South Sudan, Georgia, Durban, Tokyo, London and Wales. She has also given solo and group performances for a number of prestigious institutions and festivals including the Sangeet Natak Academy, NCPA (Mumbai) and Kathak Kendra. She has performed in Khajuraho festival, Nishagandhi festival, Konarak festival and many other well known dance festivals in India.
A graduate from Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata, Debashree completed her masters degree in Philosophy from Jadavpur University. She holds a Sangeet Prabhakar in kathak from Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad.
She is the founder of BRINDAR (2000) – a learning space for kathak. She has conducted workshops and lecture demonstrations all over India in different schools and colleges under SPIC MACAY, IRCEN and JUNOON (Mumbai).
She has also conducted workshops for dancers and non-dancers in Kolkata, London, Wales and Tokyo.
Debashree is the co-founder of Ranan Performance Collective and presently she is the Secretary of Smt. Rani Karnaa’s academy Samskritiki Shreyaskar.
Major Performances : Solos and Festivals
Sangeet Natak Academy (Swarna Nritya Pratibha)
Doordarshan- National Programme of Dance.
Khajuraho Festival
Konark Dance Festival
Nishagandhi Festival
Ananya Festival
Jaipur Kathak Festival
Bharat Bhavan Festival
Kathak Mahotsav (Kathak Kendra, Delhi)
Udayshankar Dance Festival (Kolkata)
Performances Abroad
Doha, Qatar (Probaho Festival)
Kuwait (Nrityanjali Festival)
London (Nehru Centre)
Wales (Centre for Performance Research, Aberystwyth)
Georgia (Tbilisi International Theatre Festival)
Lebanon – ICCR
South Sudan, Durban – ICCR
Bangladesh – ICCR
Tokyo (Endorsed by Indian Embassy – Japan)
Press excerpts
….and Debashree Bhattacharya who showed authentic understanding of the art form under proper guidance. Debashree Bhattacharya proved her mettle through her clear footwork, chakkars and precise standing position.
Sharmila Basu Thakur,The Telegraph
Debashree Bhattacharya’s dance has dignity and power.
Vandana Alase Hazra, The Telegraph
Swarna Nritya Pratibha
SNA
Alacrity was the key word.
Tapati Chowdhurie, Economic Times
Debashree’s subtle movements and meticulous sense of rhythm brought out timelessness and magnificence of a river.
Amrita Mukherjee, Hindustan Times, Kolkata