Dr. Helena Joshi

🪔 About

Dr. Helena Joshi is a dedicated Kathak dancer and teacher based in Brisbane, Australia, who balances her passion for classical Indian dance with her profession as a medical doctor. Her journey into Kathak began with an intense calling to connect with her Indian roots, after having explored various other dance forms including contemporary, ballet, jazz, tap, and Bollywood. She pursued her Kathak training in the traditional guru-shishya parampara (master-disciple tradition) under the tutelage of Guru Prerana Deshpande, a leading exponent of Kathak based in Pune, India. Dr. Joshi regularly travels to India to immerse herself in intensive training with her guru, often dedicating several hours daily to riaaz (practice). As a solo Kathak artist, Dr. Joshi has performed extensively with live musical accompaniment in both India and Australia. Her performances include being a featured artist at the Sangeet Mela in Brisbane in 2015, and she was the recipient of the inaugural Sangeet Mela Rising Star Award in 2014. Driven by a desire to disseminate her knowledge and promote Kathak in Australia, she founded Infinity Kathak, Brisbane's Premier Kathak Dance Company, in 2016. Through Infinity Kathak, she has presented successful productions such as “7 Beats and Bells” in 2016, which featured a fusion of traditional Kathak with Eastern and Western musicians. In 2017, Dr. Joshi had the honor of hosting her guru, Prerana Deshpande, for a Kathak maestro performance in Brisbane. She views Kathak as a profound art form that offers mental, physical, and emotional discipline, leading to self-discovery and a means of exploring both realistic and abstract elements of existence. Dr. Joshi is deeply committed to reviving and popularizing the richness and dynamism of Kathak for Australian audiences. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Mela Rising Star Award (2014).