Dance around India with Krishna, Lola, Aadi, Tishya, Tarini, Ananya, Anoushka, Saanvi,Shankar and Angela, and experience the magic of Indian classical dance: from the exquisite colours and costumes to the magical temples and sculptures that inspire the dance.
Get a glimpse of the magnificent dance festivals in Khajuraho and Chidambaram, and of the unique life in the satras (monasteries) of Assam. Experience life in Indian villages and cities, experienc friendships and make new discoveries, all through the eyes of a curious child.
Jaya Mehta’s Nritya Katha is a collection of nine stories for children about Indian dances. India is the dance capital of the world, with eight classical dance forms and hundreds of regional dances. The children are introduced to all the classical danceforms and two regional dances. Through the magical journey of a child, the stories reveal the fascinating world of each dance form: the art, architecture, costumes, and crafts.
“As a mother of two children and an Odissi dancer, I have always looked for storybooks for my children about Indian dance and music. I found to my amazement that there are storybooks about Ballet, Flamenco and Balinese dance, yet there were no storybooks on the dance forms of India to connect children with their beautiful heritage,” says the author. Her deepest wish is to connect dance with a child’s emotions, personal journey and selfimage. These dance stories explore the experiences children have during holidays, moving and visiting dance performances. Join them in discovering and enjoying the classical dance forms Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Sattriya, Manipuri, and Kuchipudi, as well as the regional Chhau and Bihu.
Jaya Mehta is an internationally acclaimed Odissi dancer, poet, educator, chat show host, and mother of two. She has published and performed dance poems, created innovative dance workshops for children, performed at festivals worldwide, and teaches Odissi to budding young dancers.
The cover and fullpage illustrations in this book are created by Suruba Natalia from Moldova, whose art is inspired, inter alia, by dreams and childhood immediacy. Her work has been honored with national and international awards.
Nritya Katha – Indiase dansverhalen voor kinderen • Jaya Mehta • Illustrations by Suruba Natalia • Design by Swati Chakrabarti • Sampreshan: Zoetermeer 2025 • ISBN 9789083345116 • hardcover • 76 pages • Price € 24,95 (Postal charges excluded)
(Originally published as Nritya Katha – Indian Dance Stories for Children, 1st edition 2022, National Book Trust, India)
For more information about this book, visit the author’s website: https://jayamehta.in/nrityakatha/
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© 2025 Illustrations/Photos: Sampreshan/Jaya Mehta
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Book Launch and Workshops by Author Jaya Mehta (15-25 June 2025)
Date and location to be announced. Would you like to attend this event and/or stay informed? Please share your name and mobile number via info@sampreshan.com; the publisher will add you to the specially created WhatsApp broadcast list Indian Dance Stories.
