Katha Dance Theatre

Building self-confidence, promoting happiness and supporting well-being for close to 40 years!

Help preserve the legacy of a 2,000 year-old dance tradition in Minnesota!

A donation to Katha Dance Theatre (KDT) allows you to be an active part of Kathak (the ancient North Indian dance form)'s preservation while helping to foster our diverse cultural community. We are now in our 38th season of making this elegant, graceful art form accessible and relevant to all, and YOU become part of our legacy when you support us!

Why donate to KDT? Why now?

We at Katha Dance Theatre (KDT) rely on your generosity to sustain our programming. Our mission is to inspire, captivate, and educate audiences about the beautiful Kathak dance tradition while expanding its artistic boundaries, making it more inclusive and accessible to all.

Our recent performance of Panchatantra - The Dancing Tales of Wisdom exemplified so much about the essence of our mission: to pass down the Kathak tradition to future generations of artists and incorporate diverse influences and voices as open and accessible to all. This was our largest-scale production in the history of KDT, with 42 intergenerational dancers comprised of our Company, apprentices, and students, even some as young as eight years old. Along with a cross-cultural composing team, costumes imported from India and original artwork by a Minnesota-based artist, Panchatantra distilled Artistic Director Rita Mustaphi's pioneering vision of Kathak dance.

This is important work we could not do without your continued support, especially as we look toward a Spring season of touring an expanded version of Prakritir Pratisodh - Nature's Revenge and organizing a dance festival that spotlights a variety of classical Indian dance traditions. But why should you give today?

If we meet our fundraising goal of $5,000, that amount will be matched by an anonymous donor. 

We recently expanded into a beautiful new studio, and with its larger size and increased expenses, we need your support to ensure we can continue providing our crucial performance and educational programming. Our performances, like Panchatantra, give everyone from all walks of life access to a cultural tradition that may open their eyes to diverse artistic voices and build stronger, more united communities. But our dance school is just as important as our onstage work, as it fosters a community of Kathak's future artistic leaders. 

Areas of giving:

The Company The SchoolThe Community

Starting in Fiscal Year 2025, Katha Dance Theatre gratefully recognizes all donations $75+ with exclusive content and events. Listed benefits do not affect the tax-deductibility of gifts. All contributions to Katha Dance are 100% tax deductible unless otherwise specified. All benefit events and opportunities are subject to availability. 

• Friends Circle
  • Supporters ($75 - $199)
    • Recognition throughout the season on kathadance.org
    • Be the first to hear about KDT events through our e-communications
    • Recognition in printed programs at our public events
  • Enthusiasts ($200 - $349)
    • All benefits included at the Supporters level
    • Opportunities to observe Company rehearsals
    • NOTE: This donor level helps provide scholarships to students in need

• Dancers Circle

  • Apprentices ($350 - $499)

    • All benefits included in the Friends Circle

    • Opportunities for meet-and-greets with Rita Mustaphi and the Company and/or post-show parties.

    • NOTE: This donor level helps provide affordable and/or free performance options for our audiences, increasing our accessibility

  • Company ($500 - $1000)

    • All benefits included at the Apprentice level

    • Opportunities to attend dress rehearsals for Company performances at the studio and/or performance venue, or discounted tickets to performances (if available).

    • NOTE: This donor level helps promote performances locally and nationally, bringing the beauty of pure Kathak to communities nationwide.

Help contribute to our vital role in Minnesota's cultural landscape!

Your donation ensures that we can continue to preserve and advance this beautiful dance tradition thousands of miles away from its birthplace, enriching lives through dance and ensuring Kathak's continued cultural impact for years to come.

Your donation will be publicly recognized on our website and is also tax deductible, as Katha Dance Theatre is organized as a non-profit organization under 501(c)(3). Our federal tax ID is 36-3557119. We ask that you check with your employer before you give to see if they offer a gift-matching program. Also, consider making yours a recurring monthly donation to ensure it has the greatest possible impact!

THANK YOU FOR MAKING KATHA DANCE THEATRE A PRIORITY

We appreciate the support of devoted art patrons like you, who make the vitality, innovation, and diversity of Katha Dance possible. With your support, we will soar to new levels of excellence and bring the joy of dance to the widest possible audience. Thank you!

Dance. Discover. Transform. www.kathadance.org

Photos by Anjana Nair and Bill Cameron