Aadya Kaktikar

🪔 About

Aadya Kaktikar is an accomplished Odissi dancer, educator, researcher, and author, recognized for her significant contributions to the field of Indian classical dance. She underwent rigorous training for two decades in the Guru-Shishya Parampara tradition under the tutelage of the legendary Guru Mayadhar Raut and his daughter, Madhumita Raut, at "The Mayadhar Raut School of Odissi Dance" in New Delhi. Kaktikar has performed extensively as a solo artist since 1992, earning critical acclaim and establishing herself as an ICCR empanelled dance artist. Her performances often feature leading roles in her Guru's compositions, including productions like Ritu Basant, Konark, and The Geet Govind. Beyond her performance career, Aadya Kaktikar is deeply involved in dance education and research. She holds an M.A. in Teaching (Dance) from the Royal Academy of Dance, University of Surrey, and is currently pursuing her Doctorate from the Department of Dance at Texas Woman's University. She serves as an Associate Professor and Head of Department in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Shiv Nadar University, where her work focuses on the pedagogy of teaching dance, exploring traditional methodologies in contemporary educational settings. Her research interests include post-colonial dance history and practice-based research on dance and dance education, with a special focus on curriculum planning and assessment development for the performing arts. Kaktikar is also the author of the critically acclaimed book "Odissi Yaatra: The Journey of Guru Mayadhar Raut," which meticulously documents the revival years of Odissi dance and features a unique collection of rare photographs, providing in-depth insights into previously unrecorded events. She is dedicated to reviving traditional Odissi dance items and expanding the form's scope by experimenting with modern literature. Her work bridges education, performance, history, and the sociology of dance, aiming to expand the vocabulary of traditional Indian dance forms in both pedagogy and practice. Awards & Honours: ICCR Empanelment.