Kathak Exponent Shah in U.S. Debut

Making his first North American tour, the sensational Kathak dancer Maulik Shah from northern India gave his first United States solo recital Friday at the James Armstrong Theater in the Torrance Performing Arts Center.

Immediately seizing attention were Shah’s particularly fluid and expressive arms and hands, with rhythmic impulses from even hairbreadth foot slaps flowing up through a quiet, truck-solid torso to explode out the fingers.

At other times, Shah wove mesmerizing images of an inner energy trembling though his shoulders and forearms to jump the gap between his hands.

He also danced the long chains of intricate, complex rhythmic units (Parans) with dead-on accuracy, modulating from warm, plush footwork to sharp, hard slaps. But he was no slouch in executing the rapid pirouettes required of this style of dancing, either, although other dancers do them faster.

In the storytelling episodes, he brought a virile, majestic characterization to his dramatic interpretation of Krishna and pained, long-suffering dignity to the role of Radha.

His crucial collaborator was Namdari Sukhwinder Singh, who fully lived up to being introduced as a “wizard of the tabla.” Together they reveled in mutual inspiration, respect and delight. Singh’s solo opportunities were abundantly virtuosic, ranging from bright, crisp, scattershot patter to subtle, cushioned, submerged bell tones.

Babu Parameswaran was the vocalist. K. Kalaiarsan, the violinist. Both the recital and Shah’s tour are being sponsored by the Shakti Foundation of Los Angeles.

The first half of the program was given over to Angali Tata, a 17-year-old advanced Bharata Natyam student. Certainly Tata deserves stage opportunities. She has a lithe, light jump, clean and clear placement and can invest story-telling segments with credible characterization. Well-schooled and cautious, she can not yet rivet attention for 90 minutes, however. But she has time on her side.