▁a ▁dance ▁program ▁at ▁the ▁Ali ▁Ak bar ▁College ▁of ▁Music ▁( A AC M ) ▁in ▁San ▁Rafael , ▁California . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁A AC M ▁fac ulty ▁to ▁form ▁his ▁own ▁dance ▁school ▁called ▁Ch hand am ; ▁his ▁" Ch it resh ▁Das ▁Dance ▁Company " ▁( CD DC ) ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁Das ▁formed ▁the ▁first ▁university ▁acc red ited ▁Kath ak ▁course ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁at ▁San ▁Francisco ▁State ▁University ; ▁several ▁current ▁d anc ers ▁of ▁CD DC ▁began ▁studying ▁with ▁Das ▁in ▁the ▁S FS U ▁program . ▁Das ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁guest ▁fac ulty ▁member ▁at ▁Stan ford ▁University . ▁ ▁His ▁own ▁school ▁of ▁Ch hand am ▁has ▁continued ▁to ▁grow ▁with ▁branches ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁F rem ont / Union ▁City , ▁Ber keley , ▁Mountain ▁View , ▁San ▁Jose , ▁Sac r amento , ▁and ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁ ▁His ▁dis ci ples , ▁Jo anna ▁De ▁Sou za ▁and ▁G ret chen ▁Hay den ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁establish ▁branches ▁of ▁Ch hand am ▁in ▁Toronto ▁( 1 9 9 0 ) ▁and ▁Boston ▁( 1 9 9 2 ), ▁respectively . ▁ ▁Today , ▁Ch hand am ▁currently ▁has ▁ 5 5 0 ▁students ▁en rolled ▁at ▁branches ▁across ▁North ▁America . ▁ ▁Through ▁the ▁years ▁Das ▁would ▁return ▁ann ually ▁for ▁several ▁months ▁to ▁India