Aditi Bhagwat A Kathak and Lavani Exponent - aditibhagwat.com

Aditi Bhagwat

Kathak / Lavani Exponent

Aditi inherited her keen sense of music and rhythm from her mother Smt. Ragini Bhagwat who was a trained classical singer and who dedicated most of her time listening to music and making every note perfect. 

 

Aditi carried this tradition further by learning Indian classical dance at the tender age of 4 years. She began rigorous training in the Jaipur style of ‘Kathak’ dance under Padmashri Dr. Roshan Kumari with strict discipline and ethics. She has also received able guidance and education in Kathak from Kathak exponent Smt. Nandita Puri and Tabla virtuoso Pt. Yogesh Samsi. Having secured a masters in Psychology, Aditi did her masters in Kathak dance from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. 

 

She is an ‘A’ graded artist of the Doordarshan Kendra, impaneled with the Indian Council of Cultural Relations and has received the title of ‘Nalanda Nritya Nipun’ from the Nalanda Dance and Research Academy, Mumbai.

 

With a strong foothold in traditional Kathak dance, Aditi has experimented with the traditions of Jazz and world music. Her first collaborative ventures were with Jazz maestro Louiz Banks, percussionist Sivamani and music composer Merlin D’Souza from India. Crossing the borders of her discipline, she collaborated with pianist Bela Szakcsi Lakatos (Indo-Gypsy Jazz project, Budapest Spring Festival), New York based pianist Rod Williams (The Issue Project) and Jazz Harpist Susan Mazer and Flautist Dallas Smith (Crossroads).

 

Aditi collaborated with the Latin Grammy award winning band Las Migas in their concert “Flamenco Fiesta” at the Royal Opera House in association with the Embassy of Spain, Mumbai and Avid Learning.

With her new project ‘Borders & Beyond’ Aditi brings together four unique elements together – Kathak, Flamenco, Manipuri and Korean Traditional Dance. The collaboration was highly appreciated at the 50th anniversary concert of the Indian Fine Arts Society, Bahrain.

 

Aditi actively works with Spanish Flamenco exponent Bettina Castaño on their collaborative venture ‘Crossroads’, a unique blend of Jazz-Kathak-Flamenco that premiered at the NCPA in association with the Consulate General of Spain in Mumbai at the Spectrum International Dance Festival in February 2020. The project has featured at the WOW Festival at Kerala Art Village, Prithvi Theatre, Telegraph Newspaper ‘SHE’ Awards , Times of India’s Art of India Festival and at the Royal Opera House. 

 

As a dancer, she has enthralled audiences all over the globe at:

  • Courtyard Koota and Banglore International Centre (Laya Ki Kahani)
  • Kathak Gayageum collaboration at Residency 2024 at Sungkyun Theatre, Seoul 
  • Kashish Film Festival, 2024
  • International Buddhist Dance Festival 2024 and Duo Dance Festival 2023, South Korea
  • Ellora Ajanta International Music and Dance Festival, Maharashtra Tourism
  • Hriday Drishyam Festival 2023, Madhya Pradesh Tourism
  • India Summer Days Festival 2019, Karlsruhe (Germany)
  • Reno Artown Festival, USA
  • Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation ‘Avartan’ and ‘Kaafila’ tour, USA
  • BRICS Summit Dance Gala 2017, Xiamen, China for ICCR
  • Kala Ghoda Arts Festival
  • Sree Sankara International Dance Festival, Kerala
  • Kathak -Lavani jugalbandi at the Hottal Mahotsav 2018, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2017, International Fleet Review 2016, Ganga Mahotsav, Celebrate Bandra festival
  • ‘Diwali at Times Square’, New York City, 2013. 
  • Printemps de Bourges 2012 (Bourges Spring Festival), France with world electronic fusion group Kartik and Gotam: Business Class Refugees. 
  • Bollywood musical ‘Dreamgirls of Bollywood’, as the lead actor and dancer at the Skycity Theatre, New Zealand.

Her online ventures include performances for –

  • TedEx Serenemeadows 2021
  • The Asia Dance Festival (Seoul)
  • Lecture/Demonstration series for the Cassandra Voss Centre (St. Norbert College, Wisconsin)
  • The Livingston Public Library (New Jersey)
  • Songs of the Courtesan (Alka Jalan Foundation and Inner Courtyard)
  • Society for Performance Arts Exchange, Delhi
  • Inner Wheel Club of Bombay
  • Online workshops and dance tutorials for Prithvi Theatre, Kathak Beats, Dancers For the World (DFW), Corona Relief Fundraiser (Sewa USA) and Avid Learning.

Aditi received the OneBeat fellowship which was an initiative of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Under this fellowship Aditi collaborated with 32 musicians from all over the world. Aditi featured as a ‘foot percussionist’ from India and successfully combined Indian rhythms and Kathak syllables through her feet and ghungroos. 

 

Aditi co-produced and acted in the international short film titled “Aarsa” which premiered at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival and showcased at various film festivals across the world like Inside Out Toronto Film festival, Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival and so on.

Aditi deeply loves and respects the rich cultural heritage that our country is adorned with. She is indebted to her Gurus for introducing her to this beautiful culture of Kathak dance and classical music. 

Collaborations

Laya ki Kahani

The universal language of rhythm 

Aditi explores the theme of time and pace in dance and it’s correlation to life through this solo act. 

Kathak ki Adaa,
Lavani ka Thumka

A merger of Kathak and Lavani 

Crossroads

Kathak flamenco jazz with Flamenco exponent Bettina Castaño and Jazz musicians Dallas Smith and Susan Mazer.

Crossroads

Kathak Flamenco project with flamenco exponent Bettina Castaño 

Kathak Thumri

The two sister acts

Collaboration with Thumri exponent Dhanashree Pandit Rai

Kathak ki Ada

Lavani ka Thumka- Kathak Lavani Jugalbandi with Kathak exponent Harshada Jambekar

Borders & Beyond

A confluence of Kathak, Flamenco, Manipuri and Korean traditional dance 

Jazz meets Kathak

A unique blend of Kathak, Jazz Harp and Woodwinds with jazz musicians Susan Mazer and Dallas Smith 

Aakriti

Kathak Jazz Lavani with Jazz maestro Louiz Banks.

Online Training in Dance

$ 40 00
/ per session per student
Kathak
Lavani and folk dances
Choreography of shows and dance sequences
(Sessions conducted on Zoom and Skype)
Duration: 60 - mins

Kathak

4000 00
/ per month
Kathak
Duration: 60 - mins

Individual sessions

1200 00
/ per session
Kathak
Lavani and folk dances
Semi Classical Dances & Lavani
Duration: 60 - mins

Masterclass / Workshop

4000 00
Choreography and technique with Aditi Bhagwat in Kathak, Lavani and Kathak based Bollywood and semi classical dances
Costumes
The academy also offers designing, styling and tailoring for Kathak and Indian folk/fusion dance costumes by designer Inderjit Nagi.

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