Lokeshwari Dasgupta

🪔 About

Lokeshwari Dasgupta is a distinguished Indian classical dancer and educator, primarily recognized for her expertise in Kathak. She received extensive training in Kathak from her mother, the renowned exponent Smt. Surangama Dasgupta, for over 17 years, commencing around 1990. Her Kathak education was further solidified by earning the “Sangeet Prabhakar” title from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad, in 2007 with distinction, and the “Visharad” title (Theory and Practical) from Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyapith, Lucknow, in 2008. Earlier in her career, she was awarded the “Nrityaprabha” title from Bengal Music College, Kolkata, in 2001, where she achieved the first position in her division. Beyond Kathak, Dasgupta has also pursued other classical Indian dance forms. She trained in Bharatanatyam under Smt. Mohona Iyer and in Manipuri for four years with Smt. Bibavati Devi and Smt. Pavitra Devi, also participating in a Manipuri workshop and performance led by Smt. Darshana Zhaveri. She is currently studying Odissi under Smt. Arundhuti Mukherjee and is also proficient in various Indian folk dances. Her career as a performer and teacher is extensive and international. She began teaching Kathak and folk dances at the esteemed Bengal Music College in Kolkata in 2007. From 2016 to 2020, she served as a Kathak Teacher cum Performer at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre of the Indian Embassy in Beijing, a position appointed by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). During her tenure in Beijing, she taught Kathak to Chinese students, including those from the Tianjin Conservatory of Music, and performed at significant events such as the Pravasi Diwas celebration in 2017. Dasgupta has performed widely across India and internationally, including recitals and workshops in Germany in 2000, covering cities like Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Heidelberg. She has been involved in innovative choreographic productions, performing in her mother Surangama Dasgupta’s Indian classical dance adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and a Kathak ballet based on the poems of Heinrich Heine. She also presented German poet Goethe’s West-Oestlicher Divan in Indian classical dance style at the German Consulate in Kolkata. Currently, she conducts online classes and collaborates with her brother, Suramya Pushan Dasgupta, on “ScreenDanse” projects. A future performance in Grasse, France, is scheduled for July 2025, where she will present both Kathak and Odissi. Academically, Lokeshwari Dasgupta holds a First Division in her School Final (2004) and Higher Secondary (2006) examinations. She earned her graduation and post-graduation in History from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, and a Master's in Women Studies from the same institution. Her dissertation was titled “Re-Telling Kathak: a Journey through Court, Celluloid and the Contemporary Stage.” She has presented papers at international conferences in India and Germany and has also completed a Master’s in Migration Studies at Université Côte d'Azur in Nice, France. Awards & Honours: Nrityaprabha (2001), Sangeet Prabhakar (2007), Visharad (2008).