’It’s like a dream come true,’ says choreographer Sat Balkaransingh about the upcoming performance by Pundit Birju Maharaj.

’He said he would only come to Trinidad when kathak is introduced and recognised here.

’This is the first time this country will see a master of kathak.’

Pundit Birju Maharaj will perform at Queen’s Hall with a troupe of musicians and dancers on November 6.

’When I entered his class in 1971, I was bedazzled by the style of kathak dance,’ recalls Balkaransingh. ’At that time Maharaji was a young man and a dynamic teacher. As a choreographer, composer and dancer he was revolutionising kathak.’

’I was his student for four years when I worked with him six days a week, 11 months a year. He was the director of the ballet unit of the National Academy of Kathak and I was honoured to be in five of his ballets.’

The word ’kathak’ comes from the Sanskrit for ’story’, and today refers to a form of dance that grew out of the ancient techniques of storytelling in dance and mime. It is one of the six classical dance styles of India and it uses codified hand-gestures, footwork, facial expressions and positions of the body.

’It is a dance with vocal and instrumental music, a combination,’ explains Balkaransingh, ’And when Maharaji performs you get vocal music, instrumentals and dances by him.

’He is one of the greatest choreographers of India and has choreographed many films Trinis know, such as Devdas.’

Pandit Maharaj has excelled as a brilliant dancer, choreographer, percussionist, musician and composer. He has received the highest artistic awards in India as well as honorary doctorates.

Many leading karthak dancers worldwide were trained by him or by one of his students. His Trinidad disciples include Susan Mohip and Puja Malhotra, the current teacher at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation, and, of course, Balkaransingh himself, who is no slouch either. He established the Nritanjali Dance Theatre, which introduced karthak to a Trini audience, and he has also experimented more Creole fusions with other rhythms.