I was initiated into dance even before entering school "St. Maria Gorrelli Convent" in Bareli Uttar Pradesh where my father Late Shri Sudhansu Kumar Dutta was posted on account of his military service (M.ES). My father a lover of music, poetry and an ardent follower of Swami Vivekananda never had the opportunity to receive any formal training in music. A graduate from Ashutosh College Kolkata he was actually punished by his guardians (he lost his parents at a very early age) for listening to gramophone at a neighbours house. He was determined to fulfil his wish through his children. In Bareli a new set of harmonium and a pair of Tabla and Dagga was brought and a tutor was appointed for the training in dance and music. I was the youngest of the 4 sisters then.

After being transferred to Kolkata we were given the opportunity to chose which ever field in music each one of us liked. My eldest sister chose guitar, second vocals, third sister sitar and me dance.
Along with academics we continued with music and dance lessons, not many grown up girls were encouraged to dance during those days as it would be futile once one got married. My father progressive minded as he always encouraged me to dance but was choosy about performances and taking it up as a profession - No way! Throughout school and college I performed for functions and enjoyed doing choreography even then. At the age of 10 I remember choreographing a Tagore ballet where we sisters and some of our friends put up a show with a make shift stage and home made curtains in our drawing room! In Kolkata and had our neighbours as audience.

Getting married at the age of 19 and bringing two daughters to this world Abira & Antara, my dance took a back seat for almost 6 years. I was living a contended life o a housewife where my passion for dance again took the better of me.

I longed to dance and would not attend shows as I would feel frustrated. I lost confidence in myself, a mother of 2 kids dancing on stage not possible. I wouldn't have that kind of stamina. Fortunately I found in my husband the same encouragement and progressive mind as my father. In fact it was he my husband Ashim Sinha an IIT 'iet born and brought up in Uttar Pradesh who took me along and enrolled me in my Guru Bandana Sen's academy in Kolkata.

Surprisingly within 6 months time I came back to my form and was loved by my Guru and I resumed performing. After that there was no looking back. My husband was transferred to Mumbai. New challenge again in front of me, new place new people I didn't knew a soul in Mumbai and had to start my career from scratch. Giving up was not my fate. My Guru Bhai Bireshwar Gautam turned out to be friend indeed and helped me gather myself again. By this time I had already initiated Abira my elder daughter into dance and my first performance in Mumbai was at House of soviet Culture where I and Abira first performed together on stage as Yashoda & Krishna and duet Kathak with Bireshwar.

Yes life was not a bed of roses in the persuit of classical dance in a land of glamour and dreams and also bringing up a family simultaneously but I managed to survive as an artiste going through my quota of trials and tribulation, success and frustrations as the flame of passion for dance remained ablaze.

I have kept the same Tabla, Dagga and the harmonium as blessings from my father and actually do "riyaaz" with them and after almost 20 years my daughters and I perform together on stage. Antara a practising dentist and pursuing M.DS received some formal training in Bharatnatyam and now learning Oddissi takes part in dance ballets and Abira an executive performs as a professional. I wish to be as supportive as a mother as my mother Ramala Dutta and wish their husbands to be as encouraging as their father.