Cassius Khan

Amika Kushwaha

Amika Kushwaha: Poetry In Motion AMIKA KUSHWAHA is a performer, choreographer and instructor of Kathak, one of India’s classical dance forms. Kushwaha is one of the few Kathak artists in Canada who pairs her performances with live musical accompaniment. This live collaboration between dancer and musician enables moments of spontaneity and thus no two performances are ever the same. Her interactions with her audiences and her style of explanation of dance compositions have made her a delight to watch on stage. She has performed in notable festivals such as the Next Step Dance Festival, the Indian Electronica Festival, Vancouver Island, Mission and Vancouver Folk Music Festivals. Apart from showcasing this dance form in its traditional glamour, Amika has choreographed Kathak to many different musical genres and can intuitively interface with dancers from a variety of other dance forms such as Flamenco, Canadian Step, Tap, African, all while staying true to the art of Kathak. Amika’s formal dance training began with her mother in Saskatoon SK. Her tutelage continued under India’s renowned instructors Smt. Vaswati Misra and Pt. Ram Mohan Misra (Maharaj) at the Shri Ram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in New Delhi, India. Over the last 10 years, she has refined her technique through intense workshops with several legendary leading masters of the present global Kathak dance community, namely Pt. Birju Maharaj, Pta. Saswati Sen, Sri Maulik Shah & Pta. Uma Dogra. Amika's inherent understanding of the discipline of Indian Classical Music and Dance has made her a well-synchronized Harmonium (Indian reed organ) player. She has performed as a Harmonium artist in numerous folk music and concert venues. Her uncanny intuition on following voice is par excellence. She is celebrated for her abilities on her sonorous and melodic Harmonium playing, and is an expert Lehra accompanist for Tabla soloists and Kathak dancers alike. Her collaborative album, "Mushtari- a live concert" in which Kushwaha played the lead harmonium with Cassius Khan has been nominated for the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards in the World Album of the Year category. "....Amika Kushwaha played the harmonium skillfully....suddenly whipping out unimaginable melodies from her fingers. I felt the goose bumps through the entire time...." ejazznews In addition to dancing and performing music, Kushwaha holds an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and is a sought after Kathak instructor in Western Canada. She teaches under the banner of her her dance school, Ta-Deem, which was inaugurated in Sept. 2005. She currently accepts all levels of students and teaches in New Westminster, BC Canada. Amika Kushwaha is also the Artistic Director and Co- Producer of the Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance, which was founded by Cassius Khan in New Westminster, BC, Canada. www.mbfestival.ca Kushwaha is also featured in an international TV commercial for Nanak Foods in which she plays the part of a happy wife serving a tray of sweets to her singing and Tabla playing husband, Cassius Khan. To contact Amika please email amikamika@yahoo.ca - See more at: http://www.cassiuskhan.com/amika_kushwaha/#sthash.MXW1jPx9.dpuf