Classical music & dance have always been among the strongest expressions of our culture, and they hold a lot of importance in the field of art. On January 30th, 2018, the Founder of Kalki Foundation Shalini Thackeray and Pooja Pant Dance Company decided to delve into this expression of our culture and co-presented the 'Rivaayat' event at Nehru Centre, Worli.
The event celebrated the completion of 10 years of Pooja Pant school of Kathak and was aimed at exploring the exquisite culture of Kathak and inspiring the youth to be a part of it, inducing their interests towards the dance form. The performers at 'Rivaayat' were Kathak legends like Aditi Mangaldas and Pooja Pant. The legends-in-making aka students of Pooja Pant's academy also performed.
Celebrities like Saroj Khan, Shilpa Shinde, Elli AvrRam, Dr. Vithal Kamat and Kiran Shantaram, as well as classical maestros from various arts like Aditya Kalyanpur (tabla), Pt. Shailesh Bhagwat (shehnai), Vaibhav Arekar (dance), were seen attending the event. From appreciating the performances to encouraging the performers, the guests were seen indulging actively at the event. "Achieving a full house and presenting Kathak on a big scale like this is commendable", added Vaibhav Arekar, owner of Sankhya Dance Creations.
Commenting on the same, Shalini Thackeray stated "Rivaayat is our initiative to inspire and promote the culture of classical art among the youth. Somehow, we feel the future generation does not resonate with the classical forms of art in today's time. Hence, this initiative is to showcase the diversity that classical dance and music has to offer. We, at Kalki Foundation, are glad to have presented such a wonderful event".
Kudos to both Shalini Thackeray and Pooja Pant for regaling the audience with such an enlightening event!
