A 5-member troupe led by Ms Punita Sharma presented Kathak dance recital on the occasion of 65thRepublic Day of India on January 25, 2014 at the Zhejiang Concert Hall, Hangzhou. The event elicited an enthusiastic response from a largely Chinese audience. The event was organized with the support of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Zhejiang Foreign Service Company.

Kathak is one of the eight major classical dance forms of India thattraces its origins to the bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathakars or storytellers who recited or sang stories from epics and mythology with dance. The literary references to this dance form are found in the Hindu Shastras (ancient scriptures) from the 3rd and 4th centuries BCE.

Punita Sharma, an acclaimed Kathak dancer, belongs to the new breed of classical Indian dancers who imbibe modernity with tradition. She has She has won various awards & has performed at national and international forums including Singapore, Mauritius, China (Ice Festival 2007 in Harbin), USA (New Jersey, New York, Queens etc.), & Thailand etc.

A short video of the performance may be seen here

Consul General Mr Naveen Srivastava with DG FAO Zhejiang province Mr Jinyong Hui