Pandit Satya Narayana Charka is a Kathak dancer of International repute. He has gained honor for his role as a choreographer and a teacher.
Pandit Satya Narayana Charka has been trained under the great maestros of Kathak dance, Shri R.K. Shukla, Smt. Maya Rao, Pt. Shambhu Maharaj, Shri B.D. Verma and Pt. Birju Maharaj. He did his graduation from the Government College of Music and Dance, Hyderabad, and Kathak Kendra, New Delhi in classical dance. After that he joined the Natya Institute of Choreography to do his post graduation. Pandit Satya Narayana Charka was appointed as the "Staff Artist" by the Indian Ministry of Defense in the year 1969 for their Song and Drama Department. At New Delhi, from a brief period of 1969 to 1972, he was the teacher at the American Foundation and the American International School. From the year 1972 to 1975 are the years when he came forth as a performer. At the same time, he was invited to the country like Japan and Hong Kong as a visiting professor.
In the year 1976, the ICCR, Government of India appointed him in the post of head of the Dance Department of the Indian Cultural Center of Suva, Fiji. His students performed in the Pacific Festival of Arts in New Zealand in the year 1976. During the Queen Elizabeth`s Silver Jubilee tour of the South Pacific Region, Pandit Satya Narayana Charka along with his troop was nominated to perform in front of the Queen.
Today his teaching and performances are concentrated mainly on the East and West coasts. The appreciation of his performances thus circularized throughout the world. Audiences from other country started inviting him to perform. In the year 1981, Pandit Satya Narayana Charka established the East-West School of Dance in Monroe, NY and is serving as the director of the school. Various dance recitals; the school has produced presentations. It also conducts several workshops on both the tradition: the eastern and western. The school eventually became very famous for its dance dramas. The school possesses four major focal points. They are: 1. `Weekly training in Indian classical Kathak based on a progressive curriculum akin to the dance schools in India`; 2. `Full stage recitals of Kathak dance`; 3. `Presentation of a wide range of dance drama productions at its home base at Ananda Ashram`; 4. `Sponsorship of performances and workshops of renowned visiting aritists of international stature`.
Pandit Satya Narayana Charka`s choreography under the flag of the East-West school of Dance has reached to the levels of prowess and distinction. The theme of the production mainly concentrates on historical, mythological, folkloric and contemporary. `Abisar` and `Suryadoya` are two examples of historical classification. `Ramayana`, `Krishna Lela`, `Shakuntala`, `Who is who?`, `gangavataran` are the production that falls under the mythological classification.
Today Pandit Satya Narayana Charka has been recognized as one of the advocator of Indian classical dance Kathak. To his credit he has presented several dances, which received acclamation throughout the world.
