From classroom to Kathak: Shika Harrypaul’s mission to bring Indian classical dance to South African schools

FOR Shika Harrypaul, a Grade 6 teacher at Crawford International and a lifelong student of Kathak, the vision is clear: Indian classical dance should not only be taught, it should be valued as education.

Harrypaul, an internationally certified Kathak teacher, is advocating for Kathak to be formally included in school curricula across South Africa because of her personal belief rooted in both her profession and her passion.

Kathak, a North Indian classical dance form that dates back thousands of years, is, for Harrypaul, a vehicle for discipline, resilience, physical wellness, and emotional healing. 

As both a teacher and a practitioner, she sees a profound intersection between traditional academic development and the holistic growth fostered by classical dance.

“Kathak is physically, mentally, and spiritually grounding. As a teacher, I may stay clear of the spiritual side in school, but you cannot ignore what it does for the body and mind. Posture, circulation, discipline, it all contributes to better health, mental strength, and resilience.”

Harrypaul’s Kathak journey began with a moment of television magic.

“I was a little girl when I saw a Kathak dancer on the old SABC program ‘Impressions’. My heart immediately said, ‘This is what I want to do'.”

Years later, fate introduced her to Guru Shrimati Manesh Maharaj, a Kathak exponent and her eventual mentor. Born into a family of musicians and dancers, she found herself carrying the torch of classical tradition into modern South Africa.

Ray of light 

“For me, it was not just a dance. It became my safe space. In my darkest days, Kathak was my ray of light. It kept me resilient and focused, even through depression or anxiety.”

The idea of pushing Kathak as a formal educational subject came unexpectedly, through a conversation with a late friend from Mauritius, Yash Ti Reeto, who was pursuing her Master’s in education.

“She said, ‘Kathak is already part of university studies in Mauritius. Why not here? (South Africa)’ That was the spark.”

Since then, Harrypaul has worked tirelessly to create awareness among schools, parents, and the Indian community. Yet her efforts, while welcomed by the Department of Education, have faced a different kind of hurdle, not rejection, but ignorance, she said. 

Harrypaul was quick to clarify that her efforts have not been blocked by rejection from the Department of Education.

“Instead, what happened was a lot of running around, going from pillar to post, trying to find the right people to escalate my concerns. There have been no outright rejections. The department said, ‘It is already in the national curriculum under dance studies. You just need to create the demand on the ground’. That’s the challenge.”

Eventually, she found an ally in Catherine Gibbons, the Gauteng dance studies coordinator at the Department of Education.

“She was supportive and told me, ‘If Indian classical dance can align as an education, I do not see why it cannot be in schools.’ That was the first time I felt heard.”

According to Harrypaul, the Department of Education confirmed that Indian dance forms were included in the national curriculum, which undergoes a major revision every 20 years.

“They said it is in there, the curriculum includes all cultures and dance traditions. But the issue is not at the policy level. It comes down to the ground level.”

According to the Department of Education, dance studies are only offered from Grade 10 onward, and pupils can choose any genre, including Indian classical, for their practical assessments. However, few pupils do, and few teachers are available to assess Kathak performances.

Concerns

Her concerns center around the underrepresentation of South African Indian culture, especially its classical dance traditions, in the national school curriculum.

"Dance studies are only offered from Grade 10 onwards, and even then, there is no infrastructure to support Indian classical dance as a practical option.

“The practical theory assessment, that is where the pupils choose a dance genre like ballet or Indian classical. But the problem is, nobody is choosing Kathak or Bharata Natyam. So schools do not hire Kathak examiners. There is no demand, because families and pupils do not even know it is an option.”

Harrypaul draws a striking contrast between the thriving ballet community and the fragmented Indian dance community.

“The ballet fraternity is structured. They understand that classical dance forms, whether ballet or Indian, build alignment, posture, discipline, and resilience. In ballet, if you want to do contemporary or jazz or acro, you must first go through classical ballet.

“The issue is demand. Ballet has a structured, respected fraternity. Parents understand that ballet builds the foundation for all dance. Our Indian community does not have that same structure or awareness."

And therein lies the systemic problem, she said. 

Harrypaul said the Indian community lacked the same organised infrastructure or understanding of classical dance’s educational value.

“We have Bollywood schools, but no structured fraternity that says, if you want to do Indian dance properly, start with classical. That mindset does not exist. If a pupil in school says, ‘I want to do Kathak for my practical assessment,’ the school must support it. But the community is not encouraging it, and the pupils are not aware it is even an option.”

The greatest challenge, Harrypaul believes, is awareness, both among parents and within the broader South African Indian community.

“Nobody is stopping Kathak from being taught. The Department of Education told me directly: if a pupil wants to present Kathak in the practical assessment, we will make it happen. We will get qualified examiners. But no one’s asking for it.”

She said the issue was cyclical. 

"Parents push for academic subjects like maths and science to ensure university entry. Dance, particularly Indian classical dance, is often viewed as extracurricular, not a viable academic or career option. 

“Indian classical dance has been part of education for thousands of years. It just needs to be interpreted correctly and taught by actual educators.”

Despite Kathak being recognised internationally and aligned with educational frameworks - Harrypaul is registered with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing - there remains a lack of institutional support and community mobilisation in South Africa.

Fight

While the fight for formal inclusion continues, Harrypaul has already been making a quiet impact in her own school.

“At Crawford International, I offer Indian dance as an extra mural, completely free of charge. I started with 12 girls. Now I have over 50, and it HAS grown bigger than the choir.”

Her pupils have earned national accolades, won at major Eisteddfods, and even forced adjudicators to study Indian dance in order to judge them fairly.

“Even my principal said she does not know how to stop me. She has seen how I have made diversity real in our school. Through Kathak, I teach about Indian culture, music, religions, and storytelling. it is real education.”

For Harrypaul, the dream is far from over. The road is long, and she doubts she will see Kathak fully institutionalised in her lifetime. But she remains hopeful that the students she teaches today will carry the torch forward.

“If Kathak were formally recognised as a school subject, it would feel like the war was won. But it will not end there. We have faced new challenges, training more teachers, standardising examinations, shifting perceptions.

“It is up to the community. Indian classical dance has always been education, rooted in the Natyashastra, the fifth Veda. But we must see it that way. We must make our children part of it.

“My final note is this, if every parent made it a point to enrol their child in a classical Indian music or dance school, Kathak, Bharaa Natyam, tabla, or vocal music, it would change everything. Not just for our community, but for South Africa,” said Harrypaul. 

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