Team – Maneesha Nrityalaya

Guru Pandita Maneesha Sathe

Maneesha Tai herself provides personalised attention to every student.
She also personally teaches BA and MA students regularly.

Teachers

Poonam Gandhi

Poonam Gandhi began her Kathak journey in 1976 under Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe. She is one of the first students of Maneesha Nrityalaya. She holds a Bachelor's degree in commerce. Along with this, she has a Master’s degree in Social work. She has also completed her Nritya Visharad in Kathak from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. Poonam Tai, as we fondly call her, is a senior dance teacher in Maneesha Nrityalaya, having more than 40 years of teaching experience. She has travelled with Maneesha Tai for various dance festivals and has forever been with Maneesha Nrityalaya since its inception.

Vallarie Apte

Vallarie Apte is a senior disciple of Guru Maneesha Sathe and has been learning under her guidance since 1999. For the past 13 years she has been teaching at Maneesha Nrityalaya. Having done her Nritya Alankar from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, she has secured the first rank in M.A. (Kathak) from Lalit Kala Kendra, Pune University. She has performed with and assisted Maneesha Tai in several performances and workshops all over India and abroad. An upcoming dancer, choreographer and teacher, she has several awards to her name including Paluskar Award, Pta. Rohini Bhate Swarna Padak, to name a few.

Madhura Aphale

Madhura Aphale is a senior disciple of Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe. She has been learning Kathak for more than 22 years. She has completed her Nritya Alankar from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, and holds a Masters degree in Social work. She is also a certified Arts-based therapist. She has over 10 years of experience in teaching dance and has designed several applied dance and theatre learning programs for children. Along with dance, she is also a theatre-artist. She has performed with Guru Maneesha Sathe at various dance festivals throughout India and also has various thematic dance choreographies to her credit.

Chaitrali Utturkar

Chaitrali Utturkar is a senior disciple of Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe, and has been learning Kathak from a very young age. She began her advanced training under the able guidance of Maneesha Tai from 2017. Initially she was trained in Kathak at her hometown in Ichalkaranji. She has completed her Masters in Kathak and Alankar poorna from Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Performing Arts, Pune. She has been awarded with 'Yuva Gaurav Puraskar by Rotary club of Ichalkaranji, 'Kala Upasak Award’ in Saptarang Festival, Nanded and has won several prizes in various competitions like Prerna Foundation, Kalanand Foundation etc.

Kirti Kurande

Kirti Kurande, a senior disciple of Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe, started learning Kathak in 2008 and has been learning under Maneesha Tai since 2014. Along with Nritya Alankar, she has completed her Masters & Bachelors in Kathak from BVDU School of Performing Arts and has ranked First for both the degrees. She has won several prizes in different competitions like the Inter-University National Youth Festival, TMV Competition, etc and has performed solo in dance festivals throughout India. She is a Staff Teacher at Maneesha Nrityalaya since the year 2020, and is also a part of the Performing Troupe.

Sarveshwari Sathe

Being the Grand-daughter of Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe, she has been learning Kathak for more than 15 years. It is hard to tell what she did first, walk or dance! She is the holder of the CCRT Scholarship given by the Government of India. She was also selected among the Top 5 dancers of India out of 15000 artists in SIFF YOUNG ARTISTE 2020 National Level Competition. She has performed in multiple countries across Europe and USA along with her mother, aunt and grandmother and has completed her Alankar Pratham. Currently she is pursuing Bachelors in Fashion Communication.

Aalapi Jog

Aalapi Jog is a disciple of Guru Pandita Maneesha Sathe, with over 15 years of training in Kathak. She is a dedicated Kathak Dancer and is currently pursuing Advanced Diploma Level 2 in Kathak from Bharati Vidyapeeth. She was selected to perform at the Förderverein Homburgisches Gymnasium Nümbrecht in Germany (in 2019) and multiple cities in Germany in 2022 with Team Tanz by Guru Tejaswini Sathe. Alongside her passion for dance, Aalapi is a German language teacher, having taught at Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, and is currently pursuing her Master’s in German Language from Pune University.

Nandini Kulkarni

Nandini Kulkarni is a disciple of Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe and has been learning under her able guidance for the past 13 years. Currently she is pursuing integrated Masters in Kathak from Lalit Kala Kendra, Savitribai Phule Pune University. Nandini has completed her Nritya Visharad from Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Performing Arts. Currently, she is pursuing Alankar Pratham. Along with this, she is also a part of Guru Maneesha Tai’s performing unit. She has performed in various countries of Asia and Europe. She was selected to perform in Europe with Team Tanz by Guru Tejaswini Sathe in 2024.

Assistant Teachers

Sahishnuta Rajadhyaksha

Sahishnuta Rajadhyaksha has been learning Kathak from Guru. Pta. Maneesha Sathe for the past 13 years. She has completed her Nritya Visharad from Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Performing Arts, Pune. She has been awarded with the Nritya Bhushan award by Kalanand, Thane. With the blessings of Guru Maneesha Tai, she has won several prizes in national level competitions like Maratha Mandir, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Sakal Lalit Kalaghar, Lehja, Prerana foundation and Kalanand to name a few. She is a part of the Maneesha Nrityalaya performing troupe and has had the opportunity to perform at various places throughout India.

Maithili Pundlik

Maithili Pundlik is a disciple of Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe. She has been learning Kathak for the past 14 years. From the last 7 years she has been learning Kathak under the guidance of Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe. She has completed her Bachelor’s degree in Marathi language from Savitribai Phule Pune University. Along with this, she has also completed Alankar Poorna in Kathak from BVDU, School of Performing Arts, Pune. Currently, she is pursuing her Masters in Kathak from BVDU, School of Performing Arts, Pune. She has performed with Maneesha Nrityalaya’s Performing Troupe at various Festivals and Competitions.

Revati Deshpande

Revati has been a disciple of Guru Maneesha Sathe for the past 13 years. Revati has completed her Alankar Pratham under Guru Maneesha Tai's guidance. Currently she is pursuing Alankar Poorna from Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Performing Arts. She is a part of Maneesha Nrityalaya’s performing unit and has performed with Maneesha Nrityalaya at different dance festivals throughout India. She was also a part of Maneesha Nrityalaya’s Performing Unit who performed at the Republic Day Parade 2023. Revati has completed her Bachelors and is currently pursuing a Master's in Economics and wishes to pursue the discipline alongside Kathak.

Girija Prabhudesai

Girija Prabhudesai is a disciple of Guru Pandita Maneesha Sathe. She has been learning under Guru Maneesha Tai for the past 6 years. Initially she learnt at her hometown in the Konkan region and shifted to Pune 6 years ago, just to learn Kathak from the Maestro Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe. She has completed her graduation in Marathi Literature. She had completed her Visharad Poorna before joining Maneesha Nrityalaya. She completed her Alankar Pratham from Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Performing Arts under Guru Pta. Maneesha Tai’s able guidance. Currently she is preparing for Alankar Poorna under Maneesha Nrityalaya.

Staff Member

Sushma Karle

Sushma Karle, has been working with Maneesha Nrityalaya for more than 10 years. She is our accounts manager and backend help. Be it a performance, workshop or an examination, she is always there to help. She is an important and integral part of Maneesha Nrityalaya.