Archana Joglekar-Mulye

🪔 About

Archana Joglekar-Mulye is a celebrated Indian classical Kathak dancer, choreographer, and teacher, recognized as one of the top Kathak dancers in India. Born a child prodigy on January 4, 1965, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, she received extensive training in the detailed nuances of the Lucknow, Jaipur, and Banaras Gharanas of Kathak from her mother and Guru, Asha Joglekar. Her training also included guidance from eminent gurus such as Pandit Gopikrishna, Pandita Rohini Bhate, Maharaj Krishna Kumar, Pandit Tirthram Azad, and Pandit Birju Maharaj. Beyond Kathak, she also undertook ten years of Odissi training under Padmavibhushan Kelucharan Mohapatra and Guru Shankar Behra, and five years of Hindustani Vocal training from Smt. Kunda Deshmukh. Joglekar-Mulye has performed extensively across India, the USA, and Europe, earning critical acclaim for her perfection, intricate footwork, exceptional Abhinaya (expression), and seamless character transitions. She holds the distinction of being the first Kathak dancer to perform at The Elephanta Festival in Mumbai and is noted as perhaps the only Indian classical dancer to perform at the Reykjavik Art Festival in Iceland. An accomplished choreographer, her works span live stage shows, feature films, and television, with notable choreographies including "Ritu Rag Dershan," "Saura - Sukta," "Ganapathy Atharvasheersha," and "Ardha-nari Nateshwar." In 1999, after marrying Nirmal Mulye, Archana Joglekar-Mulye relocated to the United States and established a branch of Archana Nrityalaya, a dance academy founded by her mother in Mumbai in 1963, in New Jersey. She has since become a prominent figure in promoting Indian classical arts in North America, having established the SAMVED EXAM BOARD for Indian classical art forms and actively training numerous dance teachers across the USA. She has also served as a visiting faculty member, teaching Kathak for three consecutive years at Princeton University and conducting lecture-demonstrations at Duke University. In addition to her dance career, she is a well-known film and television actress, director, producer, and writer, having appeared in numerous Hindi, Marathi, and Odia films and television serials. Awards & Honours: Shringar Mani, Nritya Bharati, Sharang Deo Fellowship (1994), Life time achievement Award (2005), Outstanding Maharashtrian personality in the cultural field (2014), Cultural contribution honor (2009), Honored on International Women's Day (2014), Best Actress Award, Critics Award of Orissa State Govt., Best Actress Award, Critics Award.