Isha Kathavate
Isha Kathavate
A versatile artiste, Isha is performing, teaching, choreographing, compering and writing on dance related topics. For the past more than 20 years she has been under the tutelage of Kathak exponent Pandita Guru Maneesha Sathe,a torchbearer of Padmashree Pt Gopi Krishnaji's style of Kathak.
Blessed to have been tutored since 8 years of age by renowned Kathak exponent Pta. Guru Maneesha Sathe, Isha Kathavate has performed at various prestigious festivals across India as a prominent member of Maneesha Nrityalaya’s Performing Unit.
A Commerce graduate, she pursued M. A in Kathak from Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth and is a Nritya Alankar from ABGMV.
A recipient of Singarmani award, the Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar award, she has acquired Grade 'A' Artist by Doordarshan, Mumbai.
She was awarded a junior research fellowship by CCRT-Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (under the aegis of ministry of Culture, Govt. of India). Her thesis on ‘The Changing Trends in Kathak Choreography and their Challenges’ was approved under this Fellowship. She was selected to give Paper presentations on this subject twice at Sarangadeva Pravaha by Mahagami Aurangabad, International Research Seminar at D Y. Patil University Pimpri, ‘Srajan’ organised by Kalashram and Guru Renu Sharmaji’s Alpika, Mumbai.
As a soloist, Isha has performed at various prestigious platforms like, the Kinkini Festival- Mumbai, Haridas Sangeet Samaroha -Mumbai, Sri Sumukhi Rajshekharan foundation- Chennai, Cuttak dance festival, Girnar festival- junagad, Nalanda Nrityotsav- Mumbai, to name a few.
As a choreographer, Isha has touched upon varied subjects from traditional to contemporary like ‘Emergence…where fear ends’, ‘Spanda :the meditative pulse’, ‘Inspiration’ to name a few. Doordarshan Prasar Bharati, Delhi selected and recorded 3 of her traditional choreographies for the ABU, AIDF Festival. She has also published a solo choreographic video production based on Lang Leav’s poetry ‘The Rose’ on her Youtube channel.
She is founder of Ishalaya School of Kathak Pune and Mumbai, which has successfully completed 20 years and has ventured into curation of a Baithak series ‘Rasik Rendezvous’ in Mumbai.
As a prominnet member of Maneesha Nrityalaya's performing unit Isha has performed at major Dance and music festivals like Kala Ghodafestival,Mumbai;Shaniwarwada Dance and Music festival,Pune; Vasantotsav, Delhi; Khajuraho Festival, Lucknow Ka Sansthan Festival, Kamakhya festival, Assam ; Elephanta Festival Mumbai ;World Peace Art Festival, Pune and Bodhgaya.
Nalanda Nrityotsav, 2017
Kinkini festival, Mumbai
Cuttack Dance festival
Sri sumukhi Rajashekharan foundation's festival, Chennai,
Haridas Sangeet Festival, Mumbai
Performed with troupe at Tolani Maritime Institute.
A series of solo performances in "Celebrate Bandra", 2009 a community festival in Mumbai at 4 different venues in Bandra.
Performed "Rhythm meets Melody", a programme based on the Abhinaya aspect of Kathak in a jugalbandi form with noted Hindustani vocapst Dr. Sandhya Kathavate.
Bangiya sanskritik Sansad's Basant Utsav, Pune
76th Greater Pune Sarbijanin Durgotsav 2015,Congress Bhavan, Pune
Girinar Festival, Junagad,
Nritya Sabha by dr. Suchitra Date, Pune
Grade 'A' Artist by Doordarshan
Participated in Study Films for "EMRC" for Kathak.
Participated in Musical Drama for "Sahyadri TV Channel".
Performed at Sahyadri Navratna Puraskar (Doordarshan).
Performed at Sahyadri Hirkani Awards (Doordarshan).
Very recently 3 choreographies were recorded by Doordarshan Prasar Bharati, Delhi for ABU screening of AIDF Festival -2016.
Performs with her troupe at various Corporate events.
Ishalaya's own productions are Kathak Vilas, Rhythm meets melody, Kathak- Tradition to Transition.
Isha has had the opportunity of compering in English and Hindi for various dance and cultural performances.
"Ishalaya", School of Kathak - A dance school specifically geared towards introducing, building proficiency and developing talent in the "Kathak" form of Indian classical dance.
Founded in August 2005, The Ishalaya school of Kathak has currently 60 students learning and performing at various levels of competency at Pune branch. Learning from her experience and rigorous training of over 20 years under known Kathak Guru Pandita Maneesha Sathe, Isha Kathavate envisaged Ishalaya as a school that would impart a rigorous, process driven and technically sound education in Kathak to its disciples, which would prepare them to build a career and take to the stage in order to develop a strong, in depth grounding in Kathak. She has a competent staff trained under her guidance who have been conducting elementary and intermediate level batches efficiently at Aundh branch.
All students of Ishalaya get to perform at institute's concert every alternate year.
Ishalaya is immensely proud and pleased to have completed it"s 10th anniversary in 2015. On this occasion, we at Ishalaya presented "Kathak Vilas", a home production conceptualised and choreographed by Isha Kathavate. Apart from Isha"s solo presentation and performances by her disciples, the highlight of the programme was a performance by her honourable Guru Pandita Mrs Maneesha Sathe in the latter half of the concert.
Apart from the institute's concerts, like Kathak Vilas and Kathak Vividha, Ishalaya's Performing unit has performed at:
Shri swami samarth foundation, Aundh , Pune
Sanskriti Arts Festival, Thane 2017
Girnar Festival , Junagadh 2016
performed and telecast on Doordarshan Prasar Bharati, Delhi for ABU screening of AIDF Festival -2016
Leheja Art Foundation, Dombivli
Lots of students have won prizes at prestigous competitions like:
Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune
Pt. vishnu digambar Paluskar award, Mumbai
Devgiri Kala Manch, ChinchwadArtitude, Akhil Bhartiya Sanskrutik Sangh, Pune
This choreographic piece is an ode to one of the sacred symbols in Hinduism, 'Sri Yantra'. A concept ideated by known Bharatnatyam Guru Lata Surendra ji, Isha's visual delineation draws parallels between the two forms: the meditative tool Sri Yantra and Kathak..
A Proverb based choreographic production, again conceptualised by Guru Shama Bhate. Isha ‘s delineation of the proverb was well received and constructively appreciated by the audience as well as the panellists which consisted of stalwarts from different fields: Guru Aditi Mangaldas, Nandita Wagle, Sushant Jadhav, Kaushal Inamdar, Radhika Ingle and Vaibhav Arekar.
A traditional composition highlighting the attributes and divinity of devi Ambejogai. A powerful rendition by known vocalist Reva Natu, the piece depicts the women devotees seeking her blessing to be as empowered in order to deal with the negativities around.
The Rose - A solo delineation of the poem 'The Rose by Lang Leav, emoting the contrasts of a woman's soul. This is an audio-visual production launched on youtube.
Kathak’s traditional repertoire presented in a rhythmic cycle of 11 beats showcasing her Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe’s compositions and padhant . Followed by a self choreographed Abhisarika Nayika.
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