The Kathak Podcast : Kathak Ka Chakkar
Conversations with Kathak Artists from across the world

TKP 035: Nikkita Banawalikar

3 years ago

Episode Notes

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An ICCR empanelled artist,Nikita also holds an MBA in HR from Symbiosis.She has successfully completed her Masters in Performing arts with distinction from Bharati Vidyapeeth and has passed the All India UGC Net examination and is eligible for the post of Asst.Professor. She has done her Masters in Commerce from R.A Podar college.

A promising budding kathak artist,NIKITA was introduced to Indian Classical dance at the age of 4.She began her training initially in Bharatnatyam but developed interest in Kathak at the age of 9.She was under the tutelage Dr.Manjiri Deo and completed Visharad from Gandharva Mahavidhyalaya under her guidance.Later she was trained in Padma Bhushan Kumudini Lakhia jis Kadamb centre for dance,Ahmedabad . Her advance training was under Guru Shama Bhate in Pune. A CCRT young artist scholarship holder ,Nikita has been conferred with numerous prestigious awards.Menaka award by Mumbai University for 2 consecutive years,Akhil Bharatiya Prathibha Puraskar,Gopi Krishna Award,Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar Award,Nritya Vilasini ,Nritya Sadhak to name a few. A gold medalist of All India National Youth Festival ,She has represented India twice at South Asian Universities International youth festival.

Nikita has presented her solo classical recital in many festivals India and abroad.She completed her successful tour of UK where she presented her recent production SAMARPAN at prestigious venues. She has also toured CHINA & Europe for her performance and workshops .She has given her performance for TEDX at the young age of 16.Her other noteworthy performances include:The music summit by kala Sangam Bombay,Delhi International arts festival, Durga festival,Kalaghoda arts festival,Kalakshetra Chennai,Karavali Utsav,Aura-Aurangabad at Mahagami,Navapallava Mumbai ,kinkini festival ,ICCR----BANGKOK, ,BRAHMA SADHANA SAMAROH.KISHOR SANGEET SAMMELAN,OCTAVE FESTIVAL ,AVEG’12 at NCPA and many more.

Nikita has assisted choreographer Remo D souza to choregraph Ghar more pardesiya from the movie kalank. She got an opportunity to collaborate and present her solo recital with great musicians Shankar Mahadevan and Hariharan ji.Nikita has assisted renowned chochoreographer Vaibhavi Merchant to choreograph for various projects. Nikita aims at carrying forward the rich cultural classical dance tradition throughout the world and preserve its true essence by the medium of her institute KALA VATIKAA in Mumbai .