Overview

Archana Joshi is a Professional kathak dancer based out of Ranikhet in Uttarakhand. Passionate about moving her body to the musical notes, she believes dance is not just an art or hobby it is an emotion. Having attained professional and technical education in various dance forms, she now only aspires to propagate the values and sentiments associated with Indian classical dance. In the era of Jazz, Zumba, Lyrical, and other Western dance forms, Archana has left no stone unturned to preserve the essence of Kathak Dance.

Learning Ground

It’s been rightly said, “A spark of fire can be ignited by a few words of praise”, I also pay my gratitude to the first few people, including my school teachers, family, and friends who not just encouraged me to perform on stage without any fear but also showered their praises after all my performances. When I look back, I think the introduction chapter of chance unfolded when I first participated in a group dance as six years old primary student. The Journey continued till the last chapter of my academics with all forms of dance forms including Bollywood, Semi-classical, Western, and folk dances like; Chirmi and Kalbelia (Rajasthan), Lavni (Marathi), Gidda and Bhangra (Punjabi) and others.

Keeping the rhythm alive

While Participation in dance at the state and national continued till graduation, my formal education in Indian classical dance commenced in 2017 at Apeejay College of Fine Arts in Jalandhar, Punjab. I got the opportunity to refine my skills under the guidance of Gure Dr Santosh Vyas. If I now know, how important ‘Ras’, ‘Bhav’, and ‘Ang’ is in dance, credit goes to her for keeping the foundation of dance strong in me. She self a disciple of renowned Kathak artist Pt. Kundan Gangani ji and Pt. Birju Maharaj ji, ensured passing her wisdom onto us.

Subsequently, in 2020 by god’s grace, I cleared the screening examination at the National Institute of Kathak Kendra, New Delhi for diploma honors of advanced training in Indian classical dance Kathak. The Institute and the teacher are nothing less than the traditional Gurukuls. Our Guru, Dr Samiksha Sharma ji further introduced me to the world of kathak and the history associated with it. She taught me the importance of devotion and discipline in Kathak and how it’s a combination of body, mind, and soul. Her flawless expertise further sharpened my on-stage performance skills.

Awards and Achievements

Participation and winner of National and district-level youth festivals from 2015 to 2019.

First prize winner of rotary club competitions.

Winner of inter-college and district-level dance battles.

Winner of theatre and mime events in the annual Youth Festivals in 2018.

Performed for Doordarshan events organized under the Ministry of Art and Culture.

First position in Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) exam in 2019.