Vaishali Bhende

🪔 About

Vaishali Bhende is an Indian classical Kathak dancer and a dedicated teacher. She is the founder of Priyati Nrityalaya, a Kathak academy located in Kandivali East, Mumbai. Bhende received her training in Kathak under the tutelage of the esteemed Guru Asha Joglekar, also affectionately known as Asha Mausi. Asha Joglekar's own gurus included notable figures from the Lucknow Gharana, Nataraj Gopi Krishna and Smt Ramadevi Lacchu Maharaj. Vaishali Bhende has been recognized for her significant contributions to Kathak dance and choreography. In 2023, she was honored with the Nrityavibhushan award for her dedication to Kathak. In the same year, she also received the Nrityavishkaar award for Best Choreography. These accolades were presented by the Akhil Aantar Sanskritik Sangh, Nagpur, an organization affiliated with the International Dance Council-CID-Paris, France. Under her guidance, students from Priyati Nrityalaya have achieved success in national-level competitions, securing awards in various categories at the Nritya Sanskriti Classical Dance Competition held in February 2023. One of her students, Nidhi Jain, performed her first Kathak stage show at the age of eight, a milestone celebrated by Priyati Nrityalaya. Awards & Honours: Nrityavibhushan award (2023), Nrityavishkaar award for Best Choreography (2023).