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Tatkaar y Taconeo : Steps of two worlds - Panchaboota
Tatkaar y Taconeo is an electrifying cross-cultural performance group blending India’s Kathak and Spain’s Flamenco, highlighting intricate rhythms, expressive storytelling, and percussive footwork of these dance forms. Their works are innovative explorations building bridges between traditions, communities, and cultures. Indian culture and music has had a major impact on how flamenco music and dance were formed. Tatkaar y Taconeo explores these cross-cultural parallels through acapella, live music and impromptu segments. Dancers and choreographers Pooja Ganesh and Eve Salonen came together for the premier of their work "Steps of two Worlds" in April 2025 through House of Kala and have been presenting it ever since across multiple venues as invited artists. Their new work "Panchaboota" explores the five elements through traditions, dance and music, colors and stories. Pooja and Eve are one of the chosen artists for the James Ray Residency and Touring Project - Seattle International Dance Festival in 2026, and they have also been invited to perform at the 2026 San Francisco International Arts Festival.
Artist Biographies:
Pooja Ganesh
Pooja is a Kathak dancer, choreographer, and vocalist with over 17 years of performance experience across India and the United States. She has performed with Abhinava Dance Company at prestigious platforms including Mysore Dasara, Bangalore International Film Festival, ZEE5 Awards, and Alvas NudiSiri, and has been part of several of their acclaimed productions. In 2024–25, she toured across 11 cities in the U.S. and Canada with Abhinava Dance Company’s signature production. Alongside her performing career, Pooja is a trained vocalist and works professionally as a hardware engineer, bringing a unique blend of artistic and technical rigor to her practice. Rooted in classical Kathak, Pooja’s work emphasizes rhythmic clarity, expressive abhinaya, and thoughtful storytelling informed by lineage and lived experience. She has created and presented her original works at Silambam Houston, YUVA Bharati, the New York Kathak Festival, Seattle ACME, and House of Kala, and has performed at platforms including Seattle Theatre Group, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, the Bangalore International Film Festival, and the Mysore Dasara Festival. She has also led Kathak ensembles for the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana and Melharmony Festival, and toured across the U.S. and Canada with Abhinava Dance Company.
https://poojaganesh94.wixsite.com/poojaganesh
https://youtu.be/H87IwaDh5c8?si=W0UU0-pmZQ0qFVIl
Eve Salonen
Eve Salonen is a flamenco dancer, instructor and choreographer originally from Finland. Since relocating to Seattle WA in 2015, she has worked as the artistic director, instructor and choreographer for her own company Flamenco Boreal, and is a Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Northwest Flamenco Academy. Eve is also a co-director of Espacio de Arte, a Seattle WA based non-profit organization promoting flamenco arts in the area. During her 20+ years of career in the flamenco arts, Eve has choreographed for groups of intermediate to advanced level students and continues to teach students in these levels. She has worked in many flamenco companies in Finland and performed in theaters and tablaos on the Westcoast. Eve specializes and has an expertise for the use of flamenco props, such as the bata de cola skirt (skirt with a long train), manton de Manila (big shawl) and the abanico (hand fan). She is known for her very expressive, captivating and strong performances.
https://flamencoboreal.com
https://www.facebook.com/flamencoboreal
Photo provided by Jim Coleman.
Artists At the Center is a multi-year collaboration between Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Seattle Center, with support from Uptown Arts & Culture Coalition and the communities adjacent to Seattle Center campus. The project is made possible by a 10-year grant from Climate Pledge Arena and Seattle Kraken.
Join us as we introduce emerging and established artists and celebrate their talent on Seattle Center campus. Artists are given a performance opportunity, allowing them to connect with new audiences, display their talents and advance their careers. Visitors to campus and the surrounding neighborhood benefit from surprising and delightful pop-up performances throughout the year. Each year, artists are selected with an equity and social justice lens, ensuring equitable representation for underserved and emerging artists. Artistic genres include music, dance, theater, demonstrations, and multi-disciplinary work.
