Pooja Pant

Pooja Pant is a multi-talented actor, director, and choreographer based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She is widely known as a professional Kathak dancer. She holds a Diploma in Kathak from SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai. She has been trained under the esteemed guidance of Guru Smt. Rajashree Shirke for 15 years. Moreover, she has been taking advanced training to learn Kathak from Pandit Arjun Mishra.

Pooja was the first Indian classical dancer who got the opportunity to perform at the Lawrence Olivier Awards in London. In India, she has performed Kathak at various prestigious festivals, such as the ‘Kala Ghoda’ festival, ‘Umang series’, ‘Haridas Sammelan,’ ‘Monsoon festival,’ ‘Durga Festival,’ etc. She was also invited to perform at the ‘Jayasmriti festival’ organized by famous veteran actress Hema Malini Hema Malini is perhaps the only dream girl of the >> Read More... . Besides, she has been also invited to and performed Kathak at various corporate events, including PepsiCo India, ICC award function, Printweek India, CRISIL, Dances of India, DIESL, T.I.F.R, etc. She was also invited by N.C.P.A to conduct Kathak dance workshops for children and adults.

Under the direction of her Guru. Smt. Rajashree Shirke, Pooja has performed Kathak for various dance productions such as Ritu Vilas, Manahar Ke rang, Shyam Sakhi, Spandan, Manush Biradari, Ravan Mandodari Samvad, Katha Hanuman ki, Mata Hidimba and Nachu Kirtanache Rangi, organized across different cities, such as Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, etc.

Pooja has also shown her talent in Theatre Arts. She has performed in various Dance Dramas directed by Shri Chetan Datar and Rajashree Shirke. She has also choreographed Kathak dance pieces and acted in an English Play called ‘Grey Elephants’ in Denmark by Chaitanya Tamhane Born on 1 March 1987 in Mumbai (Maharashtra). Grad >> Read More... . It was awarded as the best debut play of 2009. She has even acted and performed Kathak in a play called ‘Pillars of the Community’ at the Ibsen International Theatre Festival organized by NSD in collaboration with the Norwegian Embassy and directed by Shri Neeraj Kabi. Similarly, she performed in a short play ‘ Kabir Kabir was a fifteenth-century Indian saint and mys >> Read More... ’ at the Rangashankara festival, directed by Shri Ramu Ramanathan, and also choreographed Kathak dance pieces in the children’s play ‘Suvar Chala Space Ko’ which was directed by Miss. Shaili Satyu.

For her exceptional performances, Pooja has been awarded with ‘Pt. Vishnu Digambar Paluskar Award’ in Kathak. She has also received a Gold medal in the inter-university classical dance competition, the `Singaar Mani’ award by the Sur Singaar Samsad, and the `Menaka’ trophy by Mumbai University. She has an experience of teaching Kathak for over five years and is the founding director of the Aamad Centre for the Performing Arts.