Chitresh Das Dance To Premiere VEIL OF JANKI BAI At ODC Theater
Kathak dance-drama explores the life and legacy of early Hindustani music pioneer Janki Bai.
Chitresh Das Dance will premiere Veil of Janki Bai, a new Kathak dance-drama and multimedia performance choreographed by Charlotte Moraga with dramaturgy by Alka Raghuram. Inspired by the life and legacy of North Indian classical vocalist Janki Bai (1880–1934), the work examines the reclaiming of a woman’s voice in a world where beauty was often the only currency for women. Performances take place November 7–9, 2025, at ODC Theater in San Francisco.
Janki Bai of Allahabad, remembered as Chhappan Chhuri (“one with fifty-six gashes”), was one of the earliest female Hindustani classical artists to record on the Gramophone. Her recordings were so popular that a lavender record was created as her signature. Although her veil and scars remain a mystery, her music and defiance of gender boundaries established her as a pioneer. “Janki Bai practiced her art in a time and a world that valued beauty as the only currency for women,” says Moraga. “The story of her success as a trailblazing musician, despite the scars of violence upon her body, is as relevant today as it was then.”
The production brings together Moraga’s choreography with Raghuram’s multimedia design, featuring vocalist Saneyee Purandare Bhattacharjee and tabla player Sudhakar Vaidyanathan. Additional collaborators include sarangi player Rohan Misra. The cast features dancers Ishani Basak, Shruti Pai, Ishq Pradhan, Vanita Mundhra, and Srija Bhattacharya, alongside members of the Chitresh Das Youth Company.
As part of its community-focused programming, the Chitresh Das Institute will partner with Bay Area organization Narika to offer free, trauma-informed Kathak classes for survivors of domestic violence. The classes, held at a confidential location in Fall 2025, will focus on movement, healing, and connection.
About the Artists
Charlotte Moraga, Artistic Director of the Chitresh Das Institute, trained extensively with the legendary Pandit Chitresh Das, joining his company in 1996 and later becoming a principal dancer and choreographer. Her body of work spans solo performance, cross-genre collaborations, and major festival commissions.
Alka Raghuram is an award-winning filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist whose projects include Burqa Boxers and the multimedia work Invoking the River, created with Moraga. Vocalist Saneyee Purandare Bhattacharjee, sarangi player Rohan Misra, and tabla artist Sudhakar Vaidyanathan contribute live music to Veil of Janki Bai.
About the Chitresh Das Institute
The Chitresh Das Institute, based in the Bay Area, is dedicated to the teaching and presentation of Kathak and related Indian classical arts. Under the artistic leadership of Charlotte Moraga, CDI continues the legacy of Pandit Chitresh Das through training programs, performances, and community partnerships.
Performances of Veil of Janki Bai run Friday, November 7, and Saturday, November 8, at 8pm, and Sunday, November 9, at 4pm, at ODC Theater in San Francisco. Tickets and information are available at chitreshdasinstitute.org/veilofjankibai.
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