Smita Mahajan

🪔 About

Smita Mahajan is a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer, educator, and composer, born on December 27, 1963, to Hindustani classical vocalists. Her journey in dance began at the age of nine when she commenced Bharatanatyam training under Guru Sucheta Bhide Chapekar in Pune, continuing for approximately 15 years. Concurrently, she pursued academic studies, earning a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of Mumbai in 1984. After teaching Bharatanatyam privately and at various institutes in Mumbai, Mahajan relocated to Pune in 1993. She furthered her dance education, completing a Master's degree in Bharatanatyam from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 1996. Mahajan is an empanelled member and visiting professor at Savitribai Phule Pune University's Centre for Performing Arts (Lalit Kala Kendra) and also teaches at Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune. She is the founding director of Artitude, an institution dedicated to nurturing experienced dancers, where she teaches a select group of students. As a prolific Carnatic music composer, she has created 50 to 60 pieces adhering to the traditional Bharatanatyam margam, and her compositions have been choreographed by other Bharatanatyam dancers in Maharashtra. Her literary and musical work, "Margam Unmesh," includes Marathi and Hindi pieces. Smita Mahajan is also a choreographer, having created ballets such as Kalidasa's "Shakuntalam" and a piece based on the life of Bharatanatyam legend Rukmini Devi Arundale. She has performed solo extensively in India and internationally, including a five-week tour of the USA in 2019 with her troupe, presenting Marathi dramas "Vaijayanti" and "Meghadootam." She actively organizes the annual Artitude Dance Festival, a two-day event featuring performances by her students, eminent artists, and seminars on dance-related subjects. Currently, she is engaged in research on hasta mudras (hand gestures) in ancient texts.