Episode Notes
Few artists have the power to create an indelible impact on the minds of their audiences through
their art form and one such name in the world of Kathak dance is Shambhavi
Dandekar. Shambhavi Dandekar, as an accomplished Indian Classical Kathak master
performer, has carved a niche for herself through her sheer talent, unique performances and
unparalleled choreography, that has brought her recognition on the national as well as
international platforms.
As a young dancer, Shambhavi started her training under the able guidance of her own mother
and renowned Guru Pandita Maneesha Sathe, a celebrated dancer and a teacher in her own
right. Shambhavi then went on to receive intense training in ‘Laya and Tala’ or the aesthetics of
Indian Rhythm from Table virtuoso 'Taalyogi' Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. Along with her top-notch
traditional dance training, Shambhavi also has a strong academic background with a Bachelors
in Commerce and two Masters degrees in Dance. Furthermore, she also holds Diplomas both in
French and Sanskrit.
She has performed in Japan, China, Middle East, Canada, Australia and Singapore; needless to
mention many reputed venues and dance festivals in India and USA. She is a member of the
International Dance Council of UNESCO. ‘Singaar Mani’, ‘Nritya Ratna’, ‘Bharatashree’, ‘Kala
Teertha’ are some of the prestigious titles awarded to her in India. She is also a proud recipient
of ‘P. L. Deshpande Youth Award’.
She is a high grade artist of Indian National Television. Her performances and interviews have
been telecast on TV channels of the USA, Australia, Japan, Singapore and India.
Shambhavi’s 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. Her story-telling in Kathak is unparalleled.
Shambhavi began her teaching career in 1991, under the umbrella of her mother’s dance
institute Maneesha Nrityalaya. She founded ‘Shambhavi’s International School of Kathak’ or
SISK in 2010 with a vision to encourage the symbiosis of Kathak activities across the globe.
Soon after, in 2012 she moved her base to San Francisco, California.
SISK India is a prolific institute with 400 students. It has three locations in Pune which are
managed by Tejaswini Sathe, Shambhavi’s ‘Guru Behen’ and sister-in-law, with the aid of 10
assistant teachers. SISK USA is based out of the San Francisco Bay area and is operated by
Shambhavi herself. She trains adult students of various levels, aspiring to fulfill their dreams of
pursuing Kathak. Furthermore, she invests the majority of her time in training advanced level
students and teachers across the USA in mastering the art.
Shambhavi’s years of experience, intellectual understanding and analysis of the art form, has
helped her create stellar performers out of her dedicated students. Many of her students have
emerged as Kathak professionals. SISK serves as an umbrella organization to a number of
dance institutes founded and run by Shambhavi’s senior disciples in various parts of the world.
SISK alumni are making their impact through various aspects of Kathak such as Dance
Therapy, Dance Publication, Dance Training, Dance Journalism, Dance Accessories Retail, etc.
She has initiated various Kathak related activities not only in the Bay Area but throughout North
America. Initiatives such as Gurukul Kathak Retreat, Baithak series, Riyaz Challenge,
Watch-n-Learn Series, biennial student recital ‘Darpan’, conducting Dance and music
certification exams offered By Bharati Vidyapeeth University are to name a few.
She also earned two fantastic reviews in the New York Times for her solo performances. In 2019
She worked as a panelist in the 41st San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival.
During the pandemic, she has proved to be a constant source of knowledge to the young
Kathak practitioners across the globe. Her online Masterclass series has received a mind
blowing response and has been attended by over 500 Kathak students.
In 2021, Shambhavi introduced the pathbreaking Distance Learning Program for adult
beginners in Kathak under the auspices of SISK. In a matter of five months, 40 students from
various cities of the USA, Canada, India, Middle East, U.K., Australia, Germany and
Netherlands are learning Kathak through video lessons created by Shambhavi.
(0:01:23) Distance Learning Program
(0:05:40) Giving feedback on video
(0:11:42) Doing kathak during pregnancy
(0:14:30) Communicating and adjusting expectations with Students
(0:17:23) Teaching Kathak to adults
(0:21:09) Workshops and Masterclass series
(0:30:24) Getting the most out of workshop lessons
(0:39:50) Staying Grounded after being well known
(0:49:05) Marathi literature adopted by Shambhavi tai
(0:53:37) The nuances of being from a gharana in present day
(1:00:48) Doing Riyaz with Students
(1:08:21) The importance of managing finances
