Archana Arts Studio

Archana Nrityalaya, Mumbai is a highly reputed Kathak dance academy in India, now having its branch in USA.

Archana Nrityalaya - The Kathak Dance Academy was founded by Guru Asha Joglekar in 1963.
Guru Asha Joglekar’s exceptional teaching skills, ability to find the plus points in each student and enhancing that into finer point of Kathak, personal attention and in-depth knowledge offered to every student in the institute are the contributing factors to making Archana Nrityalaya a highly reputed Kathak dance academy in India and in USA.

At Archana Nrityalaya, there is emphasis on perfection, riyaz, taiyyari in Tatkar, pandhant, command over the laykari, training the detailed nuances of Abhinaya along with in-depth knowledge of theory. At Archana Nrityalaya, a student learns Kathak as a complete style, blending the plus points of all three Gharanas – Lucknow, Jaipur and Banaras. As powerful tatkar, chakri of Jaipur, nazakat and beauty of tourso movements, gat-nikas, finishes of the todas of Lucknow and powerful natwari bol of Banaras are all combined into a complete style in itself, created after endless hours of thoughtful input and detailing done by Guru Asha Joglekar along with her senior most disciple, daughter, renowned Kathak dancer Archana Joglekar.

Since 1963 hundreds of students of Archana Nrityalaya have completed their graduation as well as masters in Kathak. Many students have received the central Govt. scholarships. Every year students of Archana Nrityalaya, sweep off Inter-school, inter-collegiate, Inter University, state level and open classical dance competitions.

The very fact that since 1982 till date more than 18 times Archana Nrityalaya students have been the Gold Medalist and winners of prestigious Menaka Trophy at Youth festival of Mumbai University is proof enough of the qualitative training offered at the academy.

Various popular dance competitions on TV channels like Boogie-woogie have been dominated by Archana Nrityalaya students. Now our students like Fulwa, Mayur Vaidya, Dipali, Majiri Deo are working as judges for various reality shows based on dance on various Indian TV Channels.

Students of Archana Nrityalaya have topped the Visharad(BA) and Alankar (MA) exams of Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal. Many fine professional Kathak dancers, choreographers, teachers are groomed by Archana Nrityalaya. These students are now well established as professional dancers, choreographers, teachers having their own dance institutes or working as freelancers.

Other professional groups likes Hema Malini, Pandit Birju Maharajji’s various projects have often relied upon Archana Nrityalaya for the trained dancers to include in their prestigious performances in India and abroad.

Archana Nrityalaya has its own group of groomed professional dancers who have performed extensively at various music and dance festivals all over India and abroad, have given inaugural presentations at various film festivals, film award functions, TV channel award functions as well as various corporate performances either as Solo performers or in the group presentations.

Our finest and most outstanding dancer and professor Ms. Archana Joglekar is efficiently heading Archana Nrityalaya – USA.

Archana Joglekar is now working as director of Archana Nrityalaya India and USA.
Having worked at the main academy for more than a decade as co-director and chief choreographer, Archana Joglekar has now well established USA branch as a major dance academy on the East coast.

Following the foot steps of main academy in India, students of Archana Nrityalaya- USA are growing well as fine dancers winning various classical dance competitions and offering qualitative presentations at Music and Dance festivals in USA.

Archana Arts LLC is the umbrella company which owns and manages Archana Nrityalaya India as well as USA.

FOUNDER OF ARCHANA NRITYALAYA GURU – ASHA JOGLEKAR

Guru Smt. Asha Joglekar founded Archana Nrityalaya in India, on 15th August 1963.
The auspicious foundation was led by her life partner Shri. Anant Joglekar who stood by her and supported her passion and devotion for art.

Guru – Asha Joglekar has been teaching Kathak for more than 45 years. She has learnt Kathak from Padmashree Gopi Krishna & Pandita Rohini Bhate.

Guru Asha Joglekar’s exceptional teaching skills, ability to find the plus points in each student and enhancing that into finer point of Kathak, personal attention and in-depth knowledge offered to every student in the institute are the contributing factors to making Archana Nrityalaya a highly reputed Kathak dance academy in India, now having its branch in USA. Guru Asha Joglekar has a unique ability to discover the finer points of each disciple. Soft spoken but firm in her actions and devotion towards art with immense passion for teaching has made her very popular and beloved among her students. She has groomed generations of fine dancers who have now taken dance as their career.

Guru Asha Joglekar, along with her senior most disciples Archana Joglekar, painstakingly drafted the curriculum right from beginners to master’s level which will not just cover the syllabus of ABGMM but groom a student in to fine dancer. Composing and choreographing various toda, tukads, parans, thumaris imbibing detail nuances of Abhinay, highlighting stances of various gharanas into them and implementing them thru her senior most disciple Archana Joglekar was one year long process which has benefited hundreds of students in the following years. And will continue so for years ahead in future.

At Archana Nrityalaya, there is emphasis on perfection, riyaz, taiyyari in Tatkar, pandhant, command over the laykari, training the detailed nuances of Abhinaya along with in-depth knowledge of theory. At Archana Nrityalaya, a student learns Kathak as a complete style, blending the plus points of all three Gharanas – Lucknow, Jaipur and Banaras. As powerful tatkar, chakri of Jaipur, nazakat and beauty of tourso movements, gat-nikas, finishes of the todas of Lucknow and powerful natwari bol of Banaras are all combined into a complete style in itself.

Its not surprising today that she is one of the most sought after gurus in Kathak style. Under her able guidance number of disciples have completed Graduation and Post Graduation in Kathak and also earned Central Govt. Scholarships in India. Her disciples have also won number of awards and titles at various inter-school, inter-college and open competitions as well as at various prestigious music conferences. Her students have won prestigious Maneka Trophy and many are honored with “Shringar Mani” title of Sur Singar Samsad for being out standing Kathak dancers.

Guru Asha Joglekar has been on the panel of judges of Maharashtra Film Festival.
She was also the Secretary of Dancers’ Guild of Bombay for 10 years.
She has also been a judge at the “Kal-ke-Kalakar” music conference since 1990.
She is a senior examiner (Dance -Practical) of Graduation and Post Graduation examinations of Pune University, Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal and Kathak Kendra, Jaipur.

She has been awarded “Sharang Deo Fellowship” by Sangeet Peeth of Sur Singar Samsad in 1994.

In 2005 she has been awarded the “Life time achievement award.

Her life can be only compared to the Rishis & Hermits.