Seibi Lee: Kathak Concert with Live Music at Drive East 2019

Seibi Lee uses the poignant moments in her life to drive the artistic works you will see at Drive East, whether it is a story told within the chimese idiom and translated to kathak, or as a tribute to her Guru the late Pandit Chitresh Das. Bio: Seibi Lee is a dynamic Kathak artist known for the exceptional range and depth of her mastery, sophisticated musicality, and dramatic brilliance in character portrayal. Seibi is a leading disciple of the iconic Kathak legend Pandit Chitresh Das. She is Co-Founder of the Leela Dance Collective and Dean and Senior Instructor of the Chhandam School of Kathak. She has been honored by The Alliance of California Traditional Arts as a Master Artist and with the support of the Haas foundation and a 2-year Artist in Residence with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, created of the mesmerizing solo Houyi and Chang’e, a heart-rending tale of great heroism and of tragically star-crossed lovers. Her most recent endeavor, the full-length dance drama Son of the Wind celebrating the heroic adventures of the Vanara Prince Hanuman features 17 dancers and premiered in Sonoma at the Green Center, in San Francisco at ODC Theater and in Mumbai January 2019 at the Royal Opera House. About Jay Gandhi (Bansuri): A multifaceted artist, Jay is a senior disciple of the legendary Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia?. In addition to having accompanied his Guru for multiple concert tours, he has established himself as a prominent solo performer of Hindustani classical flute. About Ben Kunin (Sarod): Ben Kunin spent 25 years studying his instrument under the legendary Maestro Ali Akbar Khan at the Ali Akbar College of Music (AACM) in San Rafael, CA. He also studied tabla from Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri for many years at AACM. In 2006, Ben began performing as an accompanying instrumentalist with Pandit Chitresh Das and his disciples. He performs frequently as a soloist and an accompanist. Shivalik Ghoshal (Tabla): Shiva Ghoshal (Tabla) has had the honor and privilege of accompanying maestros and has performed all the tabla drumming in the Oscar winning soundtrack of the 2004 docu-drama, “Born Into Brothels.” About Ria DasGupta: Ria Dasgupta is teacher at Chhandam School of Kathak and an ensemble dancer with the Leela Dance Collective. She trained in classical ballet and modern dance for 14 years with the Academy of Dance Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey and she also co-founded kalmandir Dance Company, a troupe that she choreographed for and performed with internationally.