Institute Of Kathak Dance & Music

Our place is at 72/208 on Patel Marg, right in the middle of Mansarovar in Jaipur. If you walk by in the late afternoon, you can usually hear the sound of the tabla or the ghungroos hitting the floor. It’s not a very big space, but we’ve made it work for the dance and music classes. The floor is wooden and has some scratches from all the practice over the years, but it’s good for Kathak. We have a few instruments leaning against the walls and some old mats for the students to sit on. It’s a bit of a local spot, so we know most of the families who live around here. People just drop their kids off and sometimes stay for a chat. The room gets quite warm in the summer, but we have the overhead fans going full speed. It’s a bit messy with bags and shoes near the door, but that’s part of the life here. We don't have any fancy lighting or a big stage, just the open room and the music. We spend our mornings cleaning up and the evenings are full of noise and practice. It’s just how the day goes at the institute. You won't find anything too polished here, just a lot of practice and the same old tunes playing while everyone tries to get their steps right. It feels like a second home to many of us who spend our days teaching and learning.