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Raghav Raj Bhatt is a renowned Kathak dancer, sketch artist [1] and folk and tribal arts expert. [2] He is the prime disciple of Padma Vibhushan Pt Birju Maharaj Ji. [3] [4] His solo, duet and group productions have been staged at numerous prestigious festivals in India and abroad. [5]
Raghav was born in Hyderabad to Dr Gopal Raj Bhatt, [6] a folk and tribal art revivalist and Vijaya, a home maker.
Raghav is married [7] to Kathak danseuse, choreographer Mangala Bhatt, who is the senior disciple of Pt Durga Lal Ji. They perform together and continue to take their passion for arts forward through their learning centre - Aakruti Kathak Kendra. They live in Hyderabad, India.
Raghav was selected on a national scholarship to learn from Padma Vibhushan Pt Birju Maharaj Ji. Encouraged by his father, he moved to Delhi to train at Kathak Kendra under the aegis of Maharaj Ji. After completing his Visharad in Kathak, Raghav excelled as a dancer, performing in almost all of his major dance drama and classical productions in India and abroad.
Taking inspiration from his father, Raghav also is closely involved with folk & tribal arts projects. [8] His efforts have been recognised by numerous institutions and government bodies such as Sangeet Natak Akademi, Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, [9] [10] Ministry of Culture, [11] Department of Language & Culture, Govt of Telangana, etc. [12]
Mangala Bhatt & Raghav Raj Bhatt have received numerous honours for their contribution to classical dance, art and culture. They were conferred the State Award by Chief Minister K Chrandrasekhar Rao and more recently they also received the 13th Guru Deba Prasad Award. [13]
As of 2023, Raghav Raj Bhatt is the Principal of the ST Govt College of Music and Dance. [14] [15]
Mangala & Raghav Raj Bhatt have been conferred with the prestigious Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for their lifetime contribution to the field of Kathak.
Ang Kavya by Pt Birju Maharaj - credited for his sketches.
Pandit Birju Maharaj was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers, which includes his two uncles, Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj, and his father and guru, Acchan Maharaj. He also practised Hindustani classical music and was a vocalist. After working along with his uncle, Shambhu Maharaj at Bhartiya Kala Kendra, later the Kathak Kendra, New Delhi, he remained head of the latter, for several years, until his retirement in 1998 when he opened his own dance school, Kalashram, also in Delhi.
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to people in the field of performing arts.
Munna Shukla was a Kathak guru and choreographer of Lucknow Gharana based in New Delhi, India. Born to a family who has been involved in dance for generations, Munna Shukla specialized in Kathak, a classical dance form of North India. He was a grandson of the noted Kathak Maestro, Late Achhan Maharaj, and a nephew of Birju Maharaj.
Pandit Bajinath Prasad also known as Pandit Lachhu Maharaj (1901–1978) was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer of Kathak dance. He came from a family of illustrious Kathak exponents in Lucknow, and also worked as film choreographer, Hindi cinema, most notably Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Pakeezah (1972). He was awarded the 1957 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest award for performing artists, conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama. He was paternal uncle of Pandit Birju Maharaj.
Saswati Sen is an Indian dancer and choreographer, and an exponent of Kathak, an Indian classical dance form. She was a senior disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj, and still teaches and performs at his Kalashram Institute in the Jor Bagh district of New Delhi.
Pandit Shambhu Maharaj was a Guru of the Lucknow Gharana (school) of the Indian classical dance form, Kathak..Padma Shree Award -1958 Sangeet Natak Academic Award -1967
Pandit Durga Lal was a renowned Kathak dancer of the Jaipur Gharana. He was born in Mahendragarh, Rajasthan. He is known for playing the main role in the 1989 dance drama Ghanashyam, the music of which was composed by Pandit Ravi Shankar and was produced by Birmingham Opera Company. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1984.
Lalgudi Gopala Jayaraman Radhakrishnan, popularly known as G. J. R. Krishnan or Lalgudi Krishnan, is a Carnatic violinist, vocalist and composer. He is the son and disciple of the legendary maestro Lalgudi G. Jayaraman. Over the years, Krishnan has nurtured and propagated the legacy of the Lalgudi Bani, while also blending his own artistic elements. His style is defined by technique, bhava, laya, and a philosophical adherence to the notion that the violin must closely mimic the human voice. Lalgudi Krishnan was awarded with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2015. This is the highest Indian recognition given to people in the field of performing arts. Along with his sister, Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, the duo was honored with the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award from the Madras Music Academy in 2022. This is considered the highest accolade in the field of Carnatic music.
Shashi Sankhla,, is an exponent of the Jaipur gharana of Kathak dance in India. She is a Senior Disciple of Guru Pt. Kundan Lal Gangani Ji. She has been awarded by Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2008 in Kathak dance. She was the principal of Jaipur Kathak Kendra.
Aditi Mangaldas is a Kathak dancer and choreographer, who is known for her classical Kathak as well as 'contemporary dance based on kathak" repertoire. Mangaldas is hailed as one of the leading dancers in the field of Kathak in India as well as across the world.
National Institute of Kathak Dance, also known as Kathak Kendra, is the premier dance institution for the Indian classical dance form of Kathak, and a unit of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, situated in New Delhi. Established in 1964, the institution is primarily dedicated to Kathak, though it also offers courses in Hindustani classical music (Vocal) and Pakhawaj and Tabla.
Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (SBKK) is an Indian cultural institution which runs a school for music, dance and performing arts in New Delhi. It was founded by Sumitra Charat Ram in 1952, and imparts training in Indian classical dance styles and music, including Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Chhau, Hindustani Classical music, both Vocal and Instrumental. Its associated organisation is the Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts at Safdar Hasmi Marg, in the Mandi House area, the cultural hub of Delhi, the centre includes a theater for the performing arts, a theatre repertory company and an acting school.
Rani Karnaa was an Indian classical dancer, known for her proficiency in the Indian dance form of Kathak, and regarded by many as one of the greatest exponents of the art form. She was honoured by the Government of India, in 2014, by bestowing on her the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her services to the field of dance.
Yamunabai Waikar, née Yamunabai Vikram Jawle was an Indian folk artist, known for her expertise in the Marathi folk traditions of Lavani and Tamasha, folk art forms involving music and dance and reported to be one of the leading exponents of the art genres. A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, she was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Uma Dogra is an Indian exponent of Kathak, an Indian Classical Dance form. She is the senior most disciple of Pt. Durga Lal, the Kathak Maestro from Jaipur Gharana. She is a Kathak soloist, a choreographer and a teacher. She has been performing in India and abroad for more than 40 years.
Mangala Bhatt is a Kathak dance exponent. She is the senior disciple of Kathak maestro Pt. Durga Lal Ji of Jaipur Gharana. She has performed at many festivals in India. She is also the founding director of Aakruti Kathak Kendra.
Jitendra Maharaj was an Indian dancer and a Kathak maestro. He was a recipient of Sangeet Natak Academy Award given by the government of India. Jitendra Maharaj is from Varanasi Gharana. He has also written on the subject in various publications. Jitendra Maharaj is the guru of Kathak dancers Nalini and Kamalini.
Gaddam Padmaja Reddy is an Indian Kuchipudi exponent and music teacher. She performs ballets on mythological themes and contemporary social issues. She choreographed Kakatiyam, a Kuchipudi visual dance form. She was conferred with Kala Ratna in 2006, India's highest art award–Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2015 and Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in the field of art for 2022.
Maddali Usha Gayatri is an Indian Kuchipudi exponent, danseuse, guru and choreographer from the state of Andhra Pradesh. A recipient of Hamsa Award and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, she received critical acclaim for her choreography and performances. She performs ballets in mythological, historical and social themes. One of her works, Nrityam Darsayami, included a troupe of 12 of her disciples performing for 12 hours uninterruptedly.