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.
A Commerce graduate with a Diploma in French, she holds M.A. degree in Kathak. She has been prominent member of Maneesha Nrityalaya's Performing Unit and has performed in almost all major dance festivals in India. As a soloist she has been performing extensively.
Isha is a founder of Ishalaya, School of Kathak which has successfully completed 16 years recently.
A creative artiste, she has been experimenting with choreographies with other dance forms like Jazz, Modern and folk. She has travelled abroad with Shiamak Davar's institute for a performance at Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Melbourne and as also worked as an instructor at his Pune centre.
Isha is currently awaiting an approval of her submitted thesis ‘The Changing Trends in Kathak Choreography and their Challenges’, which has been completed under the Junior fellowship award by CCRT, The Ministry of Culture.
She has to her credit a Paper Presentation at Sarangdeva Pravaha by Mahagami Gurukul, Aurangabad.
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
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