Isabelle Anna of France performs KATHAK in Bhopal

Isabelle Anna, young French Kathak dancer, was stage a performance at Bharat Bhavan on Tuesday as part of the seven day programme "Rangotasava", organised by Ravindra Amatuer Natya Group.

Isabelle Anna, has been living in INDIA since 2001 as a scholar of the INDIAN Council for Cultural Relations in Delhi. First trained in Bharatnatayam at the age of five as well as Western music, Ballet and Drama, she started to train in Kathak with Sharmila Sharma, a disciple of Pt. Birju Maharaj, in 1998 in Paris at Centre Mandapa (created and directed by her parents).

After completing her Honours Course diploma at Kathak Kendra, New Delhi, under the guidance of Pt. Jai Kishan Maharaj, she is now doing her final year in Post diploma. She has performed extensively in France, Italy and INDIA.

She toured seven cities in INDIA under the aegis of Alliance Francaise during 2004, including Bhopal at Bharat Bhavan. Her recitals include the traditional repertoire of Kathak and her own choreographies on Western music.She has just turned back from Europe where she gave numbers of performances in Paris for major dance festivals, and at Nehru Centre in London.

During her Bhopal visit Isabelle Anna said "In Bharatnatyam however, I always felt there was something missing. I was always looking for something diffenent and than Kathak entered in my life". On INDIAN culture she comments " INDIAN culturen is very rich in diversity.There is so much of divergence on a common theme".