In Tribute to Kathak Dance and a beautiful dancer
Prabha Rustagi Memorial Trust
Prabha Rustagi was a lovely person and a beautiful dancer of Kathak classical dance and folk dance, who lived, performed and taught in the Seattle area from 1972 to December 1994, when she died of cancer. She had spent years as a youth in India learning dance, sitar, tabla and vocal music with her gurus. After taking time off to raise her children, Prabha returned to dance, first as a teacher and later as a performer. She joined Annie Penta, tabla player, and Shantha Benegal, singer, to form a trio known as "Leela." For 22-25 years, the Leela trio gave concerts, conducted workshops and school outreach, and performed in festivals ranging from Seattle Folklife to King County's Heritage Festival. In 1994, Prabha was awarded a Master-Apprenticeship by the Washington State Arts Commission to teach Shabina Hensley. Such was her dedication to dance, that the Music and Cultural Society of India (MCSI) and the Ethnic Heritage Council honored her with special heritage awards. The last came to Prabha as a moving tribute in the year of her passing away. That same year, she was the focus of articles in the Seattle Times, the Seattle PI, the Jack Straw Foundation's Diwali Study Book, and the India Today magazine. Up until one month before her death, Prabha continued to teach and perform Kathak and folk dance. She played tabla with her students that November in the India Association of Western Washington's Diwali celebrations, taking time off from the hospital.
When Prabha passed away, her family, students, friends and co-performers were quite bereft. In 1995, a group of students and musicians decided to keep the Kathak dance and Prabha's memory alive in the Pacific Northwest by continuing to hold weekly practices. The group was formalized as the Prabha Rustagi Memorial Trust, and incorporated in the State of Washington in August 1995.
After a year and one half, the PRMT invited Prabha's teacher in India, Urmila Nagar,(click here) Urmila Nagar to come to teach the dancers in the summer of 1996. Much to everyone's joy she accepted and came here with her son, Vishal Nagar, an emerging tabla player. Urmila and Vishal have continued to come to the Seattle area every summer since 1996. The Washington State Arts Commission (WSAC) has recognized the valuable work done by the visiting artist and her students, by awarding the Master-Apprenticeship Grant to Urmila and the students of the PRMT for five years in succession.
The PRMT funds the teaching residencies of Urmila and Vishal Nagar, presents concerts, and holds free practice classes throughout the year. The members of the PRMT, who are students of Urmila Nagar, perform under the name of Leela Kathak Dancers, the same name that Prabha's trio had used. Since 1994 they have followed in Prabha's steps by presenting Kathak dance performances and workshops at festivals such as Seattle Folklife, Ethnic Heritage Council's Winterfest,and Indian Diwali and Baisakhi celebrations.
The Prabha Rustagi Memorial Trust is a non-profit IRS and Seattle City tax-exempt organization. IRS Status: "501 (c) (3) status." IRS ID number: 91-6396328.
We invite you to join our classes and/or be in our audiences for our performances.
Contact Leela Kathak Dancers
Email: [email protected]
Or write Prabha Rustagi Memorial Trust
3056 NE 85th Street
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 522-4404
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