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About Kathak Kendra Nrityashala

Kathak is one of the main genres of ancient Indian classical dance and is traditionally regarded to have
originated from the travelling bards of North India referred as Kathakars or storytellers. These
Kathakars wandered around and communicated legendary stories via music, dance and songs quite
like the early Greek theatre. The genre developed during the Bhakti movement, the trend of theistic
devotion which evolved in medieval Hinduism. The Kathakars communicate stories through rhythmic
foot movements, hand gestures, facial expressions and eye work. This performing art that
incorporates legends from ancient mythology and great Indian epics, especially from the life of Lord
Krishna became quite popular in the courts of North Indian kingdoms. Three specific forms of this
genre that is three gharanas (schools), which mostly differ in emphasis given to footwork versus acting,
are more famous namely, the Jaipur gharana, the Banaras gharana and the Lucknow gharana.

Our Founder

Ms. Parul Juneja, is the force and brain behind this amazing programme. Born in the capital city of India, Ms. Parul Juneja at the very tender age of 5 was introduced to the world of Kathak by her father, Shri Dinesh Sharma. What started as just an extra-curricular activity, turned out to be biggest passion in Ms. Parul Juneja’s life!

Tribute

Got trained in ‘Banaras Gharana’ style from her Guru Shri Aishwarya Sharma Kumar for initial 8 years. She has been learning and practicing ‘Lucknow Gharana’ style from the age of 14 from her Guru, Shri Madan Solanki untill 2020, a disciple of Lt. Padma Vibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj ji. Currently she is taking training under the Guidance of Shrimati Vidhushi Durga Arya, the senior disciple of Lt. Padma Vibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj ji. She has attended many workshops by some of the pioneers of modern day Kathak like Lt. Padma Vibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj ji, Smt. Saswati Sen, Smt. Kamalini & Smt. Nalini. She decided to start teaching Kathak at the young age of 17 and had never looked back since. Soon
she became a household name for learning Kathak and many other dance forms in North-West Delhi. She has always been a favourite of her students (especially among young) due to her unique teaching style filled with love, laughter, dedication and discipline.

Exposure & Experience

She has been awarded with countless awards and certificates including the best performer by the Late
Hon. Smt Sheila Dikshit (Ex-Chief Minister of New Delhi). She has proven her skills in Indian classical
music and have attained a ‘Double’ Graduate in Kathak, Graduate in Tabla and a Graduate in Classical
Singing as well. She is a trained dancer in Bollywood style from Shiamak Dawar School of Dance, A
state-level yoga champion and well experienced in performing and teaching Indian folk-dance styles
like Rajasthani, Gujarati, Punjabi, Haryanvi to name the few.

In 2007, she moved to UK for couple of years and within no time became famous for her professional
dance performances in cultural shows in Liverpool and London at Trafalgar Square Fest. She has been
mentioned about and interviewed for local newspapers in Liverpool and London.

In 2010, Ms. Parul Juneja and her family moved to the small but most vibrant country-city of
‘Singapore’. Singapore people and cultural organizations welcomed her with open arms and soon she
was a well-known and respected name in the world of dance. She was particularly famous among the
students of Global Indian International School – One of the best and top international schools in
Singapore.

In 2018, Ms Parul Juneja and her family moved to Auckland, NZ. By July 2019, she along with life and business partner founded Kathak Kendra Nrityashala in Auckland. Her dedication and profound knowledge in Kathak have been the prime force behind the success and fame that her institute has attained in such short span of time. Through this institute she has trained more than 120 students in past 20 months. Since July 2019 Parul Juneja has performed in many prestigious events including Auckland Indian Association 100-year centenary celebration, Auckland Diwali celebration at Aotea Square and 100 years Tribute to Pandit Ravi Shankar organised by Sargam School of Music

The Records

Ms. Parul Juneja’s dancing style, her passion for the art, love for her students has always been rewarding. She has 100 percent track record of her students achieving one of the top 3 awards in any and every competition they have participated. One of her students, Khushi Bhardwaj, has learned from no other teacher than Ms. Parul Juneja and have been awarded as the ‘Best Indian Folk Dancer’, while competing in dance completion held in Malaysia all Asia Level.

Aim & Vision

Last year Ms. Parul Juneja and her family have migrated to the beautiful New Zealand and have settled in Blockhouse Bay area in Auckland. She is already quite popular and socially active in the suburb. After many years of learning and spreading the art of dance, she is ready to give a formal name to her school of dance, ‘Kathak Kendra Nrityashala’.