Production Details

Kathak is an Indian classical dance form that originated from the traveling bards of North India, called 'Kathakaars' or storytellers. Like the early Greek theatre, these Kathakars wandered around and communicated legendary stories via music, dance, and songs. In fact, Kathak is closely associated with the Hindu God Krishna and many of the stories are about Krishna's legends. Over the years, along with storytelling, the technical dance element also gained prominence. The present-day Kathak is a beautiful amalgamation of story-telling with nuanced expressions, stylized hand movements, vigorous footwork to go with complicated rhythm patterns, and fast pirouettes or spins!

Shambhavi Dandekar is an internationally acclaimed Kathak master performer, who has carved a niche for herself through her sheer talent, unique performances and unparalleled choreography. Her rich heritage enables her to impart Kathak training in an authentic and traditional way. However, despite her traditional training, she has broken the bounds of the traditional repertoire and produced innovative masterpieces, 2 of which have earned her rave reviews in The New York Times. Shambhavi ji is also the founder and artistic director of Shambhavi's International School of Kathak (SISK), where she dedicates most of her time in training adults and advanced level students. In 2021, Shambhavi ji introduced the pathbreaking Distance Learning Program for adult beginners in Kathak, which has seen an overwhelming response from students across the globe. Shambhavi ji’s years of experience, intellectual understanding and analysis of the art form, have helped her create stellar performers out of her dedicated students, many of whom are a part of SISK's performing troupe. The SISK Dance Ensemble has performed at prestigious occasions in various parts of the world in the presence of stalwarts in Indian classical arts.

Artist Biographies

Dancers
The performers are the members of SISK Dance Ensemble: Esha Badhe, Sneha Patkar, Vaibhavi Kulkarni, Ketaki Sathe and Shambhavi Dandekar