Kathak classical Indian dance is one of the most demanding dance classes I have ever taken. Kathak is among the six major classical dances of India and one of the most dynamic theater arts in the world. The word Kathak is derived from katha, meaning "the art of storytelling." Chitresh is a task Master. I admire his humanitarian work as well as the embodiment of a dancing god. I love the facial expressions a dancer has to use to tell the stories and tales of Krishna and India. The best lesson though is learning the rhythm and time counts, and music to the art form. I was very happy when I received my blessed ankle bells. The pageantry , the costumes, and the history is what draws me to this school. read more

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If you are looking for Bollywood dance, easy choreography, and simple steps move right along. However if you want to be part of a lineage that extends generations of Indian classical dancers, learn philosophy, mathematics, grace, discipline and the value and fulfillment of hard work, chhandam is the place for you. Two of my daughters attend chhandam and I couldn't be happier. They are part of a school with sister schools in LA, Boston, India, and Denver. Chhandam is building a global community and brand and my girls have learned so much music, vocal and dance education that I find that I am amazed by all that they know. They are learning to live under the principles that pandit chitresh das put Forth when he founded chhandam more than 40 years ago. read more

My oldest daughter and our family have been associated with this school for over 10 years and our family has been delighted and impressed by the traditional teaching style, compassion, and incredible teachers at Chhandam School of Kathak. We have been impressed by the Kathak yoga , youth company and Baitaks and school shows put on by the school. Our youngest daughter has also joined the school and it's wonderful seeing the girls enjoy dancing Kathak, learning about our culture and learning religious songs. We are truly grateful we found this Kathak school for our girls and excited to be part of their family for many more years. read more

Chitresh Das Dance Company and Chhandam School of Kathak is a dance school par excellence. If you want to experience and train in Kathak and not compromise any of its elements this school is for you! Trained by the maestro, Pandit Chitresh Das who came to the USA with a vision to build a community around Kathak, each of the teachers are equally passionate about passing on this art form to the kids. The school provides training not just in dance but has a holistic approach to the art form, focusing on philosophy, math, vocals,and music training as well. Panditji's concept of Kathak Yoga is nourishment for body, mind and soul. The school provides a solid foundation to all youth and builds self-esteem, and confidence. My daughter looks forward to classes, and takes over 5 hours of instruction each week. For her this has become a way of life. Very few Kathak schools today offer such training . Combine this with a student with the right attitude and commitment and willingness to give 200% and then watch how they grow! A word about their productions: Extraordinary and each one is a must watch... The school and its staff are truly a very integral part of me and my daughter's life. read more

Incredible institution for kathak training! Immersive, innovative, and intense dance education from inspiring artists. There is a sense of community and connectedness that elevates the dance and integrates the teachings into every day life. Great teachers, nice students, tons of classes offered, and wonderful performance opportunities both as a participant and an audience member. read more

I have been associated with Chhandam for 5 years. When I moved to the Bay Area, I was looking for a kathak school that was as rigorous and serious that would help me connect to my South Asian roots (as a first generation American). Having studied ballet for 15 years, I wanted to find a comparable training philosophy for kathak. Chhandam answered my prayers. It has been exactly what I was looking for. I have been so nurtured as a student by Seibi Lee and Rachna Nivas. Their personalized attention to each student is like nothing I have seen before. Their teaching is enriched with visits from guest artists (music and dance) from all over the U.S. and India. We benefit greatly, as a school, from our network of serious artists who are connected through the vibrant legacy of Pt. Chitresh Das. I am so thankful to be part of the Chhandam family! read more

This dance company is very near and dear to my heart. At the ripe old age of eight, my mother enrolled me in Kathak classes in a small studio in an elementary school in Fremont. True to my embrace of ABCD (Amercian Born Confused Desi) nature, I was totally opposed to the idea of wearing Indian clothes (a salwar kameez) and dancing among nine other little Indian girls, yet as my study and practice of the dance, tradition, and amazingly rich culture continued over the years, I began to love the artform. As one of six classical Indian dances, Kathak is known for its intricacy in footwork, facial expression, and storytelling of parts of India's two epic poems, the Ramayana and the Mahabharat. TB Con't. read more

This is the best dance school for you if you're looking for a very high standard of excellence. Their source Guru is the late great Kathak master Pt. Chitresh Das. His disciples are a group of passionate young women who are acclaimed dancers in their own right. They are driven to uphold their Guru's high standards and then some. If you are looking for an institution that not just focuses on dance techniques and performances, but also on teaching the core philosophy of the tradition, training in the accompanying music and instruments, language and history, along with their Guru's innovation- Kathak Yoga, then this is the school for you. They have classes for all ages and you will benefit from it, no matter what your reasons for taking lessons-pleasure/health and wellness/professional training. My family has been associated with this institution for over 10yrs and has been enriched by the education and opportunities they offer. So if you would like to get a taste of what it is like to be a student here go try one of their trial classes, you will be delighted! read more

Chhandam School of Kathak is the best school for Kathak. Kathak is a classical dance that originated in India and is historical, philosophical and completely mathematical. A student is trained in the art of mime called abhinaya and the 4 elements of kathak - tiyari (virtuosity of technique that is obtained through systematic practice), laykari (deep understanding of rhythm), khoobsurti(beauty and grace) and nazakat(delicacy)to become a complete kathaka. There is no compromise done to train the students in all the above. I have been learning Kathak at this prestigious school for past six years. What is amazing is that Pt. Chitresh Das or Dadaji as he is fondly called and the teachers of this school constantly and consistently push you to bring out the best in you.The teachers are extremely passionate about passing this art form to the next generation. The mantra is to improvise, just not in dance but as a human. This experience enriches you in every way. The soul becomes rich with the gyaan or knowledge, the body becomes light and the head still is grounded. Watch out for the lightning spins of CDDC and the CYDC members. I have seen and attended dance schools in India, but nothing comes close to this school. read more

Believe me over the past 5+ years with Chhandam we went from 5 star to 1 star rating. Chhandam destroyed my child's spirit and a few teachers who are the influencers failed us. We respect Dadaji and the framework he has created but growing pains has diluted his philosophy. Teachers are not teaching to bring out the best in the children, they are discouraging, favoritism has become a culture. If you are a parent who would like to learn at Chhandam or hang out there in every class and/or are a part of the fundraising or volunteering, your child will get all the attention and encouragement they need. Otherwise talent shall be destroyed.Telling this after sending my child there for 5+ years. Now if your goal is the Youth company then remember it is like snake and ladder. If your child makes it because of a combination of talent and other favorable factors then don't expect your child will be given the attention they deserve unless you are an involved parent. You will not hear about the progress until the very end when its time to retest and its not like they will repeat a year as an apprentice they are 'OUT'!!! not quite clear where they are supposed to go...... Let me tell you after my child spent a year at Chhandam youth company we were informed at the very end that she was not performing ( We had informed them that she had a prolonged pneumonia and hence was recovering her energy) but that worked against her. OK so we asked the teachers if she could catch up over summer and they said yes we will give her a chance. Now she practiced 2 hours every day for three months with a friend who teaches in India and she looked at videos of Dadaji to help my child. When we returned they did not even care and completely went back on their word. They said--- "She was not participating last year. Even though she shows improvement we took a decision based on last year." (Did not matter that my child had pneumonia , she had worked hard and showed improvement. The total loss of communication from the school is appalling. The selection and rejection criteria and process is a black box, my child talent at the mercy of favoritism....... ) read more

We have had very bad experience with Rina Mehta from this school. My daughter was enrolled for her classes in Irvine. While the classes themselves were fine, the organization was a disaster. Parents were forced to organize everything by themselves. Additionally Ms Mehta decided to travel to India but failed to organize back up teachers properly and other than a couple of classes conducted by instructors traveling from another place, no classes were conducted. What's more, they failed to refund the fees. We have sent a couple of emails requesting a refund, but Ms Mehta does not bother to respond. We have similar feedback from other parents as well. Stay away! read more

My daughter started kathak with a home based teacher and learnt for 2 years with her and not seeing any growth potential over there I moved her to Chhandam school which was a little more expensive. The start was a little shaky with teachers changing every week but once we got Doli di as our teacher then there was no looking back. My daughter prospered with her and we took multiple classes and then were able to graduate to a level that was taught by Charlotte di. My daughter learned a lot from her and was ultimately selected in their prestigious Youth company program in a short time frame of 2 years. Youth company program is a totally different level of learning and my daughter is privileged to be learning directly from Pt. Chitresh Das and teachers like Seibe di and Rachna di. And we are fortunate that as eager parents who watch most of the classes we get to see guruji teaching with all his passion and zest. In this school I feel my daughter is not only learning dance but so much about our culture, graciousness, humility. It delights me when they sing bhajans and dance on them. The environment feels very spiritual like where so many kathakas are invoking Gods. My daughter hopes that she can get admission in some good university in the area when she graduates so she can continue her kathak journey with the school. As in every big non-profit organization there are times when we feel dis-oriented but rather than being frustrated, I try to put myself in their shoes to understand their position and pitching in to help whenever its possible for me. The other thing that is a big plus for me here is the company dance shows. I have attended several of them with my family and there are no other shows which are that professional and beautiful in the way they represent our culture. Ramayana, which was staged 2 years back strengthened my belief that I wanted my daughter to be a part of this for years. We are very happy to be a part of the Chhandam family and will continue to be so for years to come. read more

A couple of us were associated with this school for many years but finally decided to bid adieu. It was heartbreaking but lately the integrity of this organization has changed a lot. It was a place where dance was primary focus of Guruji. We have noticed in past year , things have changed, where few parents are diluting the essence of dance and are looking into ways to get closer to teachers. and trying ways to promote. A couple of us have observed this and it was definitely getting obvious the selfish motives behind this kind of behavior. Classical dance is a pure art which we assume should be given the respect that it deserves. We have moved to another institution lately but we hope that things changes and integrity of this school is back. Also its sad to see that often mixed reviews posted for this school is removed. The idea of reviews to help and imnprove. read more

I just want to thank you for such an amazing first class. My daughter had a wonderful time and grace in which you teach dance, stories, background, music and singing is very much appreciated. We look forward to our time at the Chhanhdam school read more

This school is clearly one of a kind. Its not just a dance school but a culture in itself. My daughter started with Chhandam 2 years back. I can clearly tell that she has acquired all aspects of music in these years. The school gives close attention to TAAL, vocal aspects too. Each and every member of the faculty is passionate and has tremendous patience to joyfully answer any queries kids may have. We really feel blessed to be associated with this organization. Our very best to Chhandam management. read more

Chhandam school of Kathak has started going downhill with the demise of Pandit Chitresh Das whose vision and passion shaped this school. Now the things are falling apart as there are too much of politics in play as to who will lead and that is causing a lot of pain to the institution. The senior most disciple(will not name anyone here) is trying to run this organization on her terms and the other two are doing something else. Students and Parents are observing this painful politics engulfing this institution, few already left and joined other school. Few on the verge of leaving and few thinking what's next. This school needs some selfless artist who care about saving and growing this art form and make it a place where students can grow, thrive and continue to enjoy and preserve this art form. This is definitely a concern as some selfish teachers (not gurus) are doing their own little fight to outshine each other. Each one is playing with their ego and who is suffering, students and parents. There is no one yet to even come to close to Pandit Chitresh Das, his knowledge, selfless dedication to promote this art form. So stop your politics and grow this institution as a team. Its a shame that within one year of time frame, this institution is doing things where teachers are only focussed on their career, senior most disciple is doing things on her own terms and conditions. No longer part of this institution, but wanted to provide some feedback on the recent changes. read more

Me and my friend had enrolled our kids to this dance school. After watching Panditji teaching young kids, we were inspired to enroll our kids to this school. But after a while we realized that there are few young dance teachers who were teaching the classes didn't possess the same passion to teach these young kids as Panditji. We started closely following the classes and found one of the teachers names Antara B. who was teaching these young kids had no qualities to be a teacher. She didn't connect with the kids at all and was so involved in herself. It was really shocking to see that these kind of teachers were given the task of teaching young kids who seems to be caring about only about themselves and also demonstate partiality. She seems to be really self continuous and to certain extent very selfish who cared about herself and always has some favoritism. We had finally discontinued the class because our kids were extremely demotivated and the teacher was really not fit for being a teacher. Its sad to see at times to have such so called gurus (teacher) who has no qualities to be a teacher and they shouldn't be given task of training these young minds who get demotivated in learning their own culture...very sad. read more