S13 E3: Delaware State of the Arts - Individual Artist Fellow Ananya Goswami

Kathak is more than movement. Rooted in rhythm, mathematics, storytelling, and expressive gesture, this centuries-old Indian classical dance form carries cultural traditions from one generation to the next.

In this episode of Delaware State of the Arts, host Andy Truscott speaks with Ananya Goswami, an award-winning Kathak artist, choreographer, educator, visual artist, and founder and artistic director of Srishti – The Kathak Academy. Goswami reflects on beginning her artistic training as a young child in India, studying within the guru-shishya tradition, and learning from renowned Kathak masters, including Pandit Birju Maharaj and Vidushi Saswati Sen. She also discusses the rigorous technical foundations of Kathak and the ways movement, music, rhythm, and visual art come together in her creative practice. 

The conversation explores Goswami’s role as a custodian of the art form and her work to establish a structured home for Kathak education in Delaware. Through the academy, she teaches students of different ages and backgrounds while creating opportunities for cultural exchange, artistic discipline, personal expression, and community connection. In 2025, Goswami was recognized as an Established Artist in Dance through the Delaware Division of the Arts’ Individual Artist Fellowship program. 

Goswami also shares her vision for the future, including collaborations between Kathak and other classical dance traditions, expanded community programming, and new ways of using movement to support creativity and well-being. Her story illustrates how an ancient art form can remain authentic to its lineage while continuing to evolve, build understanding, and find new meaning in Delaware. 

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is committed to supporting the arts and cultivating creativity to enhance the quality of life in Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life.  Learn more at Arts.Delaware.Gov.

Delaware State of the Arts is a weekly podcast that presents interviews with arts organizations and leaders who contribute to the cultural vibrancy of communities throughout Delaware. Delaware State of the Arts is provided as a service of the Division of the Arts, in partnership with NEWSRADIO 1450 WILM and 1410 WDOV.

Transcript

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Andy Truscott 0:20

For Delaware State of the Arts, I'm Andy Truscott. Today's guest is Ananya Goswami, a Delaware-based Catholic artist, choreographer, educator, and visual artist whose work lives at the intersection of classical lineage, contemporary community, and creative wellness. With more than two decades of training and performance, Ananya began her artistic journey in India as a child and went on to earn a national scholarship in Katak at an early age, launching a path shaped by rigorous study and formative experiences alongside legendary masters. Now in the United States, Ananya is the founder and artistic director of Srishti, the Katak Academy, and she brings Katak into classrooms and communities through teaching, large-scale productions, and workshops that highlight the form's power as both storytelling and healing. She's also an accomplished visual artist working across multiple media, bringing the same curiosity and discipline to the canvas that she brings to the stage. In 2025, Anania was recognized with the Delaware Individual Artist Fellowship, supporting her continued creative work and the growth of her artistic practice here in Delaware. I'm excited to talk to her about tradition and innovation and what it means to be a custodian of a centuries-old art form and how that form can build connection across cultures and generations. Ananya, welcome today. And as we kick off, tell us a little bit about how you began both your artistic practices around age three or four. What do you remember being the first time you felt ownership over that artistic practice?

Ananya Goswami 2:27

So when I started, you know, my parents really noticed the little artist in me. So they took me to, you know, an institution and where I progressed heavily. And the teacher told my mom and my dad that uh they should uh focus more on uh my artistic journey, and and they uh suggested few of the institutions' names, uh that is that gives a formal training of katak. So then and there my parents took me to the institution, and then uh when uh my formal katak training was started. And for uh the visual art, I would say that uh it's it's very spontaneous. Uh so my parents noticed, you know, when I was uh doing a sketch unloadingly uh of my grandparents sitting in front of television. I wasn't uh I would say uh like kindergartener at that time or the first grade, I uh vaguely remember, but I did do a pencil sketch without any ruler or anything, uh rather say for a professional artist, uh, we go for graphing and then for live human sketch. But without knowing all this, I did cage my grandparents uh my grandfather's picture on the paper, and that was all stuck. And uh so my parents uh realized that I have something in me, and they took me to an arts institution as well when I start my artistic journey as a visual artist over there, uh, a little artist in me. So that's how my journey started. Then my parents took me to you know national scholarship examination for Kathak, where I was had to give an examination uh uh like in technical uh aspects as well as the movements, uh uh both. And then uh after uh passing that examination with flying colors, there my parents get to know about uh workshop. The workshop is uh conducted by none other than Pandit Birjamaharaji, who was uh you know Kathak maestro at that time, and and of course, uh he was the god of kathak. And that was a very rarest opportunity, and that like it's it's not very normal that anyone can apply and uh is going to accept the application. It's not like that. So it's very tough uh because uh we needed to go for rigorous auditions to get uh into that workshop training for uh maybe for a few months, maybe for a few days, every time we had to go through the auditions. And that audition I did pass, and I was fortunate enough to take uh you know precious training under uh him and his uh primer disciple uh Vidushi Shashvati Senji. I'm still continuing with them. So started uh my parents took me to the institution, um, you know, a different Kathak Guru. So and and in Kathak there is a tradition, uh Guru Shishwa Parampara. It's it's a very very important for any classical art form that uh students need to be in touch with guru who can correct the body posture, body languages, and uh also the footwork. Because Kathak is not only the movement, it's it's an art of storytelling. And there is a background calculation, maths are there, different intricate footwork are there, and movements are there, uh, defining different geometrical uh structure in that very moment using the 3D space. And uh then they generally discuss about the movement like make the 30-degree angle, make 25 degree, make 35 degrees. So immediately we have to calculate how much uh and how far we need to move our limbs to make that particular angle on the 3D space to make any geometrical figure, and also with full of grace, including the expression and the intricate food work within that time frame. Always we have to calculate in the mind that uh what time cycle is going. So there are different time cycles uh in kathak, different thal, that is known as different tal. That depth in calculated within me by my teachers. So that's how my journey has started.

Andy Truscott 6:36

You previously described yourself as a custodian of Kathak. What does that kind of custodianship require from you beyond performing, as we think ethnically, culturally, and even pedagogically?

Ananya Goswami 6:49

Kathak is one of the Indians' oldest classical art form, rooted in storytelling, uh rhythm, mathematics, and expressive movement. And uh in today's fast-paced world, kathak offers more than performance training. It uh develops discipline, focus, memory, emotional expression, and uh cultural awareness. Its structured rhythmic cycle strengthens analytical thinking, awareness, and you know, while its expressive aspects um support emotional balance and confidence. Kathak also creates a meaningful uh connection to the heritage for the Indian diaspora and introduces global audience to a rich classical tradition. As a Kathak artist, I felt the need of preserving this art form, to enhance this art form, to spread the culture uh among the uh youngsters to our upcoming generation to preserve this art form so they can continue the legacy, they can continue the heritage. And it should not be lost, right? So this is a very precious year old tradition. It's it's like this tradition started uh uh 2000, 3000 years back. So that is a rich heritage we are carrying forward. That is the reason I feel the need to structure a syllabus and then pass on my knowledge to the uh younger generations and also not only in your generation but also the adults who were uh, you know, uh somehow they couldn't continue their journey for family pressure or for any other kind of obstacles. They couldn't, they had to stop their journey or they didn't get any exposure to kathak or and to learn any kind of classical dance form. So I took responsibility to enhance the cultural tradition to pass on to the next generation and to the uh community. It will help to for a good cultural exchange, uh to build a good cultural exchange relationship among the diversified artists in Delaware.

Andy Truscott 8:56

You had mentioned how Katak is rooted in storytelling. When you yourself choreograph a piece, what comes first for you? Narrative, emotion, rhythm, or an image that you're trying to portray?

Ananya Goswami 9:09

So whenever I'm trying to portray any story, I would rather say the I would like to connect mythological stories with the current uh socioeconomic scenario or the story uh that is influenced from our current society. Okay, what is happening currently? So those I try to connect with ancient, you know, mythological stories because somehow we can relate to those the stories which are which were written long back. So there is some connection. Uh yes, I definitely I can form. And so first I need to sketch that portrait in my mind that how we'll represent the uh the story in front of the audience so that they can because Kathak, we cannot see the words, we only do the footwork, we only do the movement, we only do the silent you know expression to tell the story to the audience. So art is that powerful. I would say that this helps many of the students, starting from you know kids to the adults, who cannot express themselves, their feelings, their pain, they can do it easily through their art form. And they are freely, uh they are freely doing it on the stage in front of the audience. You know, this it helps release their emotion. While portraying this image in my mind, I always keep both the musical uh background so that we can have an enhanced effect of the emotions. Suppose if we are describing like the pain of any uh like I I can draw the example of my recent recital, uh, you know, sum upon uh which was dedicated to breast cancer patient, and that was uh awareness and well as raising awareness and raising fun for the patient. So the I in background, I was planning to do something so that I can tell audience that how art can portray the patient and their family members' mental state at that moment and how they are doing the battle. And at the end, there is a hope of winning the battle through the dance form. So I did use a musical piece on it so that people uh can feel the musical uh there can be atmosphere with the musical um uh tune and then describing with the movements and the emotions and also with the footwork. Like like when I I was describing their pain and their turmoil, uh, you know, mental condition, I was doing rigorous footwork within that time cycle. So that is complete mathematical calculation that within that time cycle I need to fit a footwork uh composition which will be completing with that time cycle. So technicality comes place in that situation, and also the movement, fast spin, saying the mental state, the fighting, uh you know, and also sometimes there is some still movement, calm that is showing that mental stability and the willingness that I can fight. So this is how I plan for each and every moves. I would say this particular samarpan, I did take a you know challenging step uh where I have completed artwork during my you know uh show, so I was doing side by side means first. I started with a painting stage, whatever is in my mind, and then going back to the spins, showing that the turmoil uh mental condition that I am suffering, and then coming back to the reality that I need to stay calm. Once again, I'm doing the painting, and at the same time, I need to be very stable to do the painting and as well as doing the rigorous footwork with wearing the heavy metal belts at the same time without shaking my arms. So that mental stability is needed, uh, you know, to fight whether it is mentally, whether it is physically, whether you are in a battlefield or uh suffering with a pain, you are fighting with a pain. Every situation you can do it if you have the mental stability, you have the willpower to fight. So that is how I uh draw all the human emotions within my piece of art, whether it is a visual art, whether it is a performing art.

Andy Truscott 13:33

You've performed across multiple US states and in major productions. Yes. How does your relationship with the audience shift between location? Specifically, I'm thinking, you know, do you see a difference when you perform in India versus when you perform in the US?

Ananya Goswami 13:50

I would say that uh definitely when I'm performing in India, uh they have some uh idea about the mythological stories, right? They immediately understand without a narrative that what's going on. Before my performance in it depends on the audience, of course. If it is any Indian organization, I would say a little introduction about my piece, and they can connect some audience, can connect, some may not, but overall it was okay. But whenever it is diversified audience, like University of Delaware, uh the Youth Dance Festival, or the or uh the recent performance in uh Delaware Art Summit. There, I try to give a short introduction that this will be uh I will be showing this piece you uh during my performance so that they can connect because the music sometimes it's a con no words, uh it's only the tune. Sometimes I have to choose the music which has a lyrics in it, and that is uh either it is Sanskrit or it is Hindi, it's different. Sometimes it's in English, but uh it depends on the you know the piece I am going to choose. So to communicate properly with the audience so that I can convey my art form to the audience, I try to elaborately say a few lines about my performance and then do after performing in Delaware Art Summit, I did realize because I did hear feedback that even if I don't say this word, they can easily understand because these are all they are all human, right? We are all human, and the human feeling, even though there is um you know language barrier, but we are all human at the end, and the we are all connected through whole uh so same rhythmic pattern and also same emotions, we are going through the same emotion. So if I am in pain, what I am feeling, if some other who is not talking in my language, they are feeling in the same we can convey the same way, and uh for art, there is no border, there is no boundary. So if uh an artist from India, an artist from Europe, an artist from America, we cannot you cannot identify each artist because artist is an artist, so you cannot draw boundary where uh he or she comes from. So what matters is his or her art form. So I don't feel after, especially after performing on Delaware Art Summit, I really feel proud to be a proud Delaware, and Delaware is my state. And it it it opened another uh door to me after my recent performance, yes. Um, because I was thinking at the before performance, I was thinking I should tell some some of the lines, but you know, the review definitely changed my thinking uh process.

Andy Truscott 16:40

What do you think is the biggest misconception that Western audiences have about katak dance? And how do you reintroduce that form in a way that earns their respect and attention uh as you're performing?

Ananya Goswami 16:53

I don't see there is any misconception, uh, I would say, because always, whenever I perform, I always uh felt that deep respect. They're always showing a warm welcoming. Um the atmosphere is always warm, welcoming, and also they do pay respect, due respect to the art form, as it is a classical uh you know, year-old tradition. But yes, I would uh like to see something because some of the situation, because in Boliud, there is another uh dance form that is not classical, Boliud, they are influenced by Indian classical dance form and do some steps, but uh you know people even not only uh the audience, more many Indian audience also can get confused that whether it is kathak, whether it is another classical art form, or is it the pure form of kathak? They also get confused. So that is the main difficulty I am facing right now, or any, I would say not only me, many classical artists is facing the same difficulty because we need to stick to our tradition, and we need to. This is not only about you know the year-old practice, this is all the knowledge that we have acquired from our gurus, and also it's still continuing. It's not a thing, it's not a culture, all the art form we can learn within you know five or six years. It's a year-old tradition. So I would be learning this art form, you know, till my death, and it's a never-ending process. The more you learn, the more you nurture with this art form, the more deeper you are uh into it, this art form, and you will create a new thing each and every day if you are uh you know nurturing this art form every day. It's not a quick learning scenario like every other uh classical art form, right? If I take uh ballet, if I take tab dance, the more they are into this art form, they can create more. And and another main thing is pure classical art form, they can combine with each other. So, my future aim is to you know collaborate with different classical art forms, like katha can go with tab dance, katha can go with ballet, you know, side by side because they're all connected with the rhythm, they're all doing the calculation back end because they are using the rhythmic pattern, doing for the tab dance, they are using uh the footwork as well, but they are making the little composition like we do in our kathak. But of course, there is a little difference, but we can use it because both are the art forms, you know, year-roll tradition. So that is how it is connected, and I I would like to preserve its purity, pristine art form, from the uh misconception that it can be learned within a couple of years or uh you know, a couple of days. It's not actually. If there is uh anything I can do to identify or or make people identify that the purest art form, I would like to do that, I would like to go for that step. That is the main difficulty I'm forming, and there is nothing I would like to say about the audience who definitely appreciate the classical art form. There is no difficulty conveying your message through your art form to a diversified audience because you always get that respect from the fellow artist and the audience.

Andy Truscott 20:23

As a founder and artistic director of Srishti, what opportunity were you trying to fill in Delaware and what are you most proud of building?

Ananya Goswami 20:32

First of all, I would like to say a few words about Delaware, and I'm really proud of being here. And Delaware always uh has a warm, inclusive, and uh genuinely welcoming arts and cultural environment. And as an artist and educator, I have experienced strong support from the state and local organization and a wider community. There is an openness here to learning about diverse cultures, which creates meaningful opportunities for artists from different backgrounds to share their work and feel valued. What I appreciate most about Delaware is its close-knit art community. It allows for real connection, thoughtful collaboration, and uh deeper engagement with audience. And uh the state's commitment to support individual artists, cultural educator, and community-based initiative makes uh uh uh the state an encouraging space to create, teach, and grow. This is valid for my Kathak Academy as well. Delaware welcoming nature has played an important role in allowing my workak uh as a as a visual artist as well, and as well as Srishti the Kathak Academy to take root and flourish. Now uh coming back to the studio formation or the academy formation, I would say the studio that I formed it's it's both for necessity and my vision. When I moved to Delaware, I realized there was no formal space of Offering structured uh Kathak training rooted in classical Guru Shishwa tradition, that is teacher and student tradition. Families and students who were interested in learning kathak had limited access to authentic uh instruction, and I felt a strong responsibility to fill the gap. And I began teaching uh with a small group of students in a modest piece, uh voluntary focusing on strong foundation, discipline, and respect uh for the tradition. Because at that moment I needed to establish myself in Delaware as well, so that people know about me. You know that I am here to teach you, I am here to spread the knowledge of Kathar. I did perform uh many with many organizations in Delaware as well as the nearby uh states, and gradually people come to know about me. Also, the as I was sharing my knowledge among the community, I was doing volunteer work, I was spreading my knowledge, taking some workshops. Uh, I saw that interest grew. And uh so the need of a dedicated platform that could offer a structured curriculum and regular assessments, performances, and community engagement. This led to uh the formal creation of Srishtida Kathak Academy. The studio was built uh step by step through trust, consistency, and community support. My goal was not just to create a dance school, but a cultural space where students of all ages and background uh could connect with Kathak uh as an art form, a heritage, and a tool for personal growth. Today uh the studio stands as Delaware First Kathak Academy, committed to authentic training, creative exploration, and meaningful cultural exchange.

Andy Truscott 23:49

What's next for you and the Academy as we look into 2026 and beyond?

Ananya Goswami 23:54

I see immense potential to enrich Delaware's culture and wenless landscape by integrating Kathak not only as a performing art, but also as a therapeutic and educational tool. Beyond traditional performances, kathak uh can contribute to mental, emotional, uh, and physical well-being. Its intricate rhythm, expressive storytelling, and disciplined movement naturally enhance memory, focus, emotional expression, and body awareness. These qualities make it a powerful medium for you know therapy, especially for individuals dealing with stress, trauma, autism, or chronic illness. By merging art and healing, we can create a hostelic approach that addresses well-being while also promoting uh cultural appreciation. I'd say at the same time, I want to expand Srishti's outreach in Delaware, offering workshop programs and community projects that connect people from diverse background with this year old Indian classical art form. The goal is to make Kathak accessible, relevant, and transformative, showing that the art growth, emotional release, and community connection, and also connecting with other community artists from different genres. See a great potential in cross-disciplinary collaboration with other dance forms such as tap and ballad. Yet uh each uh dance style brings its own vocabulary, rhythm and movement, philosophy, and blending them with kathak can create innovative, dynamic performances that highlight both contrast and harmony, and which is very much important to make art more powerful. Like I can give an example of it. Like Kathak's intricate footwork and rhythmic cycle can intersect beautifully with the percussive precision of tap or the fluid lines and extension of ballad. Such collaboration allows students and audiences to experience new dimensions of rhythmic expressions and storytelling. They also encourage cultural exchange and create experimentation, showing that classical Indian dance can dialogue with global dance tradition without losing authenticity. Through this collaboration, uh Srishti the Katak Academy can serve as a hub for interdisciplinary performance where dance from different backgrounds learn from one another, expand their artistic vocabulary, and engage audience in unique, uh memorable ways. It's about enriching Delaware's cultural landscape while pushing the boundaries of what classical and contemporary dance can achieve together. So it's it's a huge future plan that I'm dreaming almost every day. Right now I have to think about the process plan that how can I implement this. It's it's a long-run dream of mine and which I need to and I have to implement, and I have to do it with collaborating with other artists.

Andy Truscott 27:07

We've come to the end of our time, so I want to thank Anania for joining me today. If you want to learn more about the Academy, feel free to visit www.thecutacademy.com.