At the NCPA’s Nrityagurukul, as gurus shape the artistes of tomorrow, the dance community at large stands to gain from the initiative. We speak to eminent exponents Shama Bhate, Rama Vaidyanathan and Vaibhav Arekar about the programme, artistic continuity and what constitutes learning.

By Arundhuti Banerjee

In the quiet sanctuaries of the NCPA, the echoes of learning unfold not in unison but in sequence. All through the year, master practitioners take turns to transform its studio spaces, elegant foyers and intimate theatres into a thriving gurukul, with workshops carved around their unique philosophies.

Tradition as transmission

At its heart, Nrityagurukul is not just a dance workshop. It is a pedagogical philosophy. Conceived by the NCPA’s Dance department under the guidance of Dr. Swapnokalpa Dasgupta, the initiative offers young dancers sustained access to legendary gurus in a format that mirrors the classical guru-shishya parampara. No fast-paced masterclasses, no performance pressure, just space—for method, mentorship and meaningful bonds.

“The dance community in the country,” notes Dr. Dasgupta, “is unfortunately unstructured. Dance classes, workshops and performances often take place on an ad hoc basis. Nrityagurukul is the NCPA’s way of letting dance teachers and artistes know that we care.”

This intention echoes the NCPA’s deeper history— not just as a venue for performance, but as a cradle for the propagation of the arts. Conceived by Dr. Jamshed Bhabha in 1969 as India’s first multi-arts centre, the NCPA was always meant to be more than walls and stages. Its spaces have borne witness to generations of maestros passing on their wisdom, from Kelucharan Mohapatra’s dance residencies to Akram Khan’s intensive contemporary workshops. To teach here is to inherit that memory. To learn here is to stand at the confluence of continuity and change. Nrityagurukul carries that legacy forward—not with spectacle, but with the sincerity of process over product.

Rama Vaidyanathan, Vaibhav Arekar and Shama Bhate, three towering figures from the worlds of Bharatanatyam and Kathak, recently conducted these sessions, which didn’t just impart technique, but transmitted their vision.

Relevance in motion

“To me,” says Vaibhav Arekar, “the guru-shishya parampara is not just a tradition. It is the very soul of Indian knowledge systems.” A recipient of the Obul Reddy Endowment and Narthaka Nipuna awards, Arekar is one of the most respected Bharatanatyam soloists of his generation. Through his Sankhya Dance Company, which has performed across Japan, Brazil, Canada, Europe and Australia, he has taken Indian dance to global audiences—yet his philosophy remains rooted.

“In Indian classical dance,” he reflects, “aesthetics are not stored in books—they are encoded in the body. That is why the guru’s physical presence, their choices, their silences, are essential. Knowledge is lived, not just taught.”

Shama Bhate, a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award among other honours, echoes this sentiment. “This is not just about teaching a piece— it’s about transmitting a lineage.” Bhate’s own lineage is illustrious: a disciple of Mohanrao Kallianpurkar, Rohini Bhate and Birju Maharaj, she has shaped the contemporary landscape of Kathak through Nadroop, her Pune-based institution that emphasises rhythm, scholarship and choreography with soul.

For Rama Vaidyanathan, a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar and Kalaimamani, who trained under Saroja Vaidyanathan, the parampara is less about imitation and more about surrender. “It’s about a guru imparting knowledge, sharing wisdom and lived experience with the next generation. You don’t have to live in your guru’s house or cook and clean for her to say you are a part of this lineage. That’s not the essence of it,” she says.

“At my institute in Delhi, I’ve had students who have been with me for years. They spend entire days at the studio, learning, practising and exchanging ideas. I hold them close to my heart. That bond, that transmission of love, discipline and insight—that is the guru-shishya parampara in spirit,” she further adds.

What makes a workshop matter

Each guru approached the Nrityagurukul format with intent and specificity.

Arekar led students through an abhinaya-based Telugu kriti by Annamacharya, in which an aging Krishna reflects on Radha with quiet melancholy. This was followed by a nritta section from a tillana, giving students an idea of abstraction and storytelling.

Vaidyanathan’s workshop, titled Tula: Finding the Balance, was built around movement dynamics and the balance between angika and mukha abhinaya. Assisted by her senior disciples Priyanka Rawat, P. Vaishnavi and Laxmi, she guided participants to explore restraint and release, stillness and flow. “Dance should liberate you,” she told the participants, “not confine you.”

Bhate explored ‘Kedar Chaturang’, a richly layered composition set to music by Kallianpurkar and Dinkar Kaikini. As the guru chose to stand amidst—and not on a raised platform—over 50 participants, assisting her was her senior disciple Ameera Patankar. A quiet but commanding presence, she helped bridge the energy between generations. “At 75, I cannot demonstrate everything,” Bhate shares candidly. “Ameera is my asset. She brings warmth while I bring structure.”

In all three workshops, students of various dance forms came from across the country. The rooms held Odissi dancers, Bharatanatyam practitioners, Kathak students—all seeking depth. The format, however, has its limits. “In two days,” Bhate notes, “I cannot pause and explain each mudra ten times. In my regular classes, we don’t move on till every detail is perfect.”

Even so, the intensity of the work being done was palpable. Arekar describes it as “a shared space of growth—not just for the shishya, but for the guru too.” He emphasises that over time, such engagements can evolve into shared productions or even new choreographic directions—but the goal is never the starting point. “It’s about the bond,” he said, “the transformation during the process.”

The context of emotion

If there was a common chord that resonated across all three workshops, it was this: technique alone is not enough. The form must carry feeling. “Keep it simple, but give it soul,” says Bhate, who emphasises the value of context when teaching, particularly when abroad. “When students understand the emotional or narrative background, they move better. Riyaaz is important— but so is rasa.”

Vaidyanathan describes this as “romancing the art form.” When asked what she had inherited most deeply from her guru, she doesn’t mention a piece or a style. “She taught me to love my dance,” she says. “Dance is a lifelong companion. Learn to live with it, grow with it. It will never leave you.”

Even in his most academic articulation, Arekar insists on this inward gaze. “Today, education is often viewed in material terms. We ask, ‘What will I earn from  this course?’ or ‘What’s the return on investment?’ But as human beings, we also need to ask: do we value art? Do we value becoming more sensitive, more attuned citizens? Do we value beauty, culture and the legacy of thought that has been handed down to us?”

Senior disciples and artistic continuity

One of the most powerful, if subtle, aspects of Nrityagurukul is the presence of senior disciples— artistes who now assist in teaching, embodying a living continuum. Their role is not merely supportive. They are the next custodians of their forms.

When Patankar demonstrates for Bhate, or Vaishnavi and Priyanka mirror Vaidyanathan’s guidance, they do more than lighten a guru’s load— they model pedagogy in action. In their hands, the values and vision of their gurus are not only repeated— they are reinterpreted.

This mentorship pipeline is vital, especially in a field where formal education often neglects the slow, daily work of teaching. Nrityagurukul becomes a space where the shishya begins to become a guru—not through ceremony, but through observation and eventual embodiment. In a time of quick content and compressed learning, the NCPA’s commitment to long-form mentorship feels radical. The institution is not simply hosting workshops. Through thoughtfulness in curation, through meaningful collaborations and with quiet consistency, it is not just a stage for excellence, but a sanctuary for growth.

As the sessions of Nrityagurukul unfold, one feels that something extraordinary is afoot. In the soft correction of a wrist, in the repetition of a phrase, in a gaze held just a second longer, something precious has been bequeathed. And in that moment, art becomes alive again—not on the proscenium, but in the pulse of the studio.

Of, for and by the dance community

Nrityagurukul, launched in June 2024, has been envisioned to nurture dance in India on many levels. Eight gurus, two of them supported by Voltas and six by the Bank of America, have been invited to be a part of the programme. The programme also provides financial backing to three students of each of the eight teachers, such that complete support to their pursuit of dance for a year—the guru’s fees, accommodation, etc.—is borne by the two CSR partners. “The students are young, full-time dancers and come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. They are truly deserving of this support to build a sustainable career in dance and eventually, play their part in perpetuating the guru-shishya tradition,” explains Dr. Swapnokalpa Dasgupta, Head – Dance Programming, NCPA “The gurus, who have made a considerable contribution to dance, are from across the spectrum, from Kathak to Bharatanatyam and Manipuri to Marga nritya [based on the technique codified in the Natyashastra]. Their dance institutions are not based in Mumbai, and the city has already witnessed teachers from the south, north, east and west of the country.”

It all begins at the guru’s own dance institution, where three serious learners, often from neighbouring smaller towns or villages, can continue their training unencumbered. Next, when the guru is invited to conduct a masterclass at the NCPA, made available to other students of dance at a nominal fee, the three disciples demonstrate their teacher’s technique, interact with fellow learners and grasp the nuances of imparting training in their dance form.

“We also try to give them an all-round experience of being at the NCPA. Workshops on light design, curating dance festivals, fundraising and marketing have been organised and soon, Mr. Nayan Kale, Chief Executive – Technical, NCPA, will lead a session on stage structure and design, which has a vital role to play in choreographing a performance,” says Dr. Dasgupta.

The students supported under Nrityagurukul, and the larger troupes of the gurus, receive opportunities to perform at the NCPA at its various annual festivals, such as Nakshatra (dedicated to group choreographies) and Spectrum (showcasing a wide range of dance forms). The programme culminates with each of the gurus’ disciples receiving complete production support from the NCPA—from costumes to live music, light and sound design—to create a 45-minute performance as a trio. “This, then, is the end of their beginning as dance professionals,” notes Dr. Dasgupta.

This article was originally published in the September 2025 issue of ON Stage.