China Chowdhury
| China Chowdhury | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1960s Dhaka, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) |
| Residence | London, England |
| Nationality | Bangladeshi |
| Citizenship | British |
| Occupation | Choreographer, dance teacher, dancer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse(s) | Mohammed Sheikh |
| Children | 4 |
| Current group | Taal Torongo |
| Dances | Folk, Kathak, Bharata Natyam |
China Chowdhury (Bengali: চীন চৌধুরী) is a Bangladeshi-born British choreographer, dance teacher, and the founder and Managing Director of Taal Torongo.
Early life
Chowdhury was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She studied at Lalmatia Mohila College and the University of Nottingham.
Career
Chowdhury is a dance artist and choreographer.[1] She has received extensive dance training in Bangladesh specialising in Folk, Kathak and Bharata Natyam styles.[2] She has an extensive knowledge in Indian classical, modern and Bengali Folk dance.[1] She was a government staff artist with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. She also represented her country as a dancer in international events.[2] She has not only worked in Bangladesh but has worked in the UK and has travelled across the world to countries such as Japan, Italy, Sweden, Thailand, Egypt and Pakistan.[1]
In December 1995, Chowdhury founded Taal Torongo, a London-based institute of Bengali music and dance, which specialises in ethnic and tradition dance forms.[2][3] The organisation's members give widespread and varied performances all over the UK and Europe, and have performed at the Boishakhi Mela.[1]
Since December 1995, she has been a dance instructor at Bluegate Fields School and various institution such as Nazrul Centre (London) and BSK.[2] She has also worked in numerous London schools as a dance instructor and dance teacher such as Thomas Buxton School and has worked as a part-time dance instructor for the Asian Art Organisation in Newham and at the Indian Community Centre in London.[1]
Chowdhury has been involved with Boishakhi Mela Committee, and has helped and supported the initiative since its formation. She works with children of local communities all over the UK. She has delivered training facilities on choreography to young people in Tower Hamlets. Since 2002, she has been working with the Bangladeshi High Commission. She has been involved in the Edinburgh Festival and was a choreographer for the 2010 Bangladeshi film Golapi Ekhon Bilatey.[1] She is also a founder member of Celebration of British Bangladeshi Culture, a charity formed to celebrate British Bangladeshi community and culture.[4]
She has performed on Bangladeshi and UK Bengali-language television channels, which has led her to take part in several international events showcasing her dance and performance.[1]
Awards and recognition
In April 2011, Chowdhury received the Contribution to Culture Award at the Channel S Awards.[5]
Personal life
Chowdhury lives in Stratford, London, England. She is married to Mohammed Sheikh, and has two sons and two daughters.[2]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Karim, Mohammed Abdul; Karim, Shahadoth (October 2009). British Bangladeshi Who's Who (PDF). British Bangla Media Group. p. 49. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Weavers China Chowdhury". Baishakhi Mela. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ↑ "A Summer of Music - Boishakhi Mela 2014 Taal Torongo". BBC. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ↑ "Founder Members". CoBBC. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015. Ms China Chowdhury
- ↑ "The Channel-S Awards 2011: The Winners". The Sylhet Times. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2015.