Gopi Krishna Kathak Dance Institute

We’ve been here at Nateshwar Bhavan on 16th Road for a long time now. It is a quiet spot in Khar West, tucked away on Khot Lane. People usually find us when they are looking to learn Kathak properly. We don't do anything fancy with our setup; it’s just a space where the floors are right for dancing and there is enough room for everyone to move. Teaching dance is mostly what happens throughout the week. You will hear the sound of ghungroos hitting the floor if you walk past at the right time. It gets quite loud when the senior batches are practicing. Some of the kids start very young and they stay with us until they are grown up. We teach the traditional steps and the stories that go with them. It takes a lot of patience to get the footwork right, and we spend hours just on basic rhythms. The building itself is old but it works for what we need. It’s not about having a shiny studio with mirrors everywhere. It is more about the practice and the discipline. We mostly get locals from the neighborhood, though some travel from a bit further away. Usually, someone’s cousin or neighbor told them about us. We keep the groups small so everyone gets a bit of attention. Sometimes the music is live, sometimes it’s recorded, depending on the day. We are just here doing our work and keeping the tradition going in our little corner of Khar.