Visharad degree for students of TARANA KATHAK DANCE ACADEMY

BY A STAFF WRITER

CHICAGO, IL – Teenaged Rahi Brahmbhatt, along with Shivani Jain, Sana Khadkilkar and Riddhi Limaye, presented Rangmanch Visharad Kathak performance.

The gripping dance, which started with Ganesh Vandana, demonstrates
several intricate todas from Jaipur Gharana and was followed by Tatkar, a solo performance.

After the break, Ritusamharam by Kavi Kalidas was also appreciated as
was praised the beautiful stage­setting, perfect sound system and the
colorful costumes of the dancers.

The hall was packed with families, friends and well­wishers who
enjoyed snacks before the show emceed by Shilpa and Suhas and dinner after the curtains came down but not before degrees of Visharad were presented to all dancers and Guru Dakshina was presented to Guru Sheetal ji by mothers of all dancers.

Rahi, 16, is the daughter of Dr Manish and Darshna Brahmbhatt and is
in Junior High School.

She said : “For me, dance is freedom. It’s a blessing and a prayer.
More importantly, it’s my passion that I have been pursuing for 9
years”. Indeed, she admits her family and friends have supported her a
lot.

Rahi takes kathak lessons from Guru Sheetal Dhanani, founder and
director of Tarana Kathak Dance Academy, who has Masters in Kathak
dance from Gandharva Vidyalaya of Music and Dance in India under the
guidance of Guru Gangani.

Shivani Jain is 16 years old and will enter her junior year of high school this fall. She has been learning Kathak for over 9 years under the guidance of her Guru and support from her family and friends.
Kathak has given Shivani the creative freedom to explore and express her love for this beautiful form of art, and has instilled an appreciation for classical music and dance. Dancing will always be Shivani’s passion and she hopes to pursue dance and learn more from it in the future. Shivani feels blessed to achieve this milestone and is excited to share this experience with her loved ones.

Sana Khadilkar is 15 years old and has been learning Kathak for 9 years. Kathak has impacted her life forever, and will always be something she loves and enjoys.
Throughout her years of dancing, Sana has felt that Kathak shapes her into who she will become into the future. She also feels that learning Kathak has connected to her culture and heritage and is extremely excited to share this experience with her friends and family.

Riddhi Limaye is 15 years old and has been learning Kathak for 9 years from Guru Sheetal Dhanani. Since her childhood, she has been fascinated with dance and it has always been more than just an art form to her.
Dance is her passion and she feels she can express herself through this beautiful art form. This journey of learning Kathak has played a vital role in her life and has shaped her into the person she is today. She is pleased to share one of the most important events of her life with her friends and family.

Through Sheetal’s passion and hard work, Tarana Kathak has established itself as the largest Kathak dance academy in the Chicagoland area.

Rahi’s Visharad performance marks the graduation of Tarana Kathak’s
dancers who have been learning Kathak for the past nine years under the guidance of Sheetal.