Abha Bhatnagar Roy
NYC Comptroller’s 2019 Diwali celebration Honoree, Abha B. Roy, Founding Director at Srijan Dance Center, has conducted workshops and classes for New York City schools, Universities, Libraries and Museums since 1992. Advisor of Diwali festival from 2015-present and 2023 holi festival at FTH, Abha is a Master Teaching Artist at Flushing Town Hall and Mentor at NYFA.
Abha is Teaching Kathak at ADDA (Anup Das Dance Academy) Bronx, NY from 2020.
As a cultural ambassador through Govt. of India (ICCR) Abha taught and performed in Guyana from 1989 to 92 and performed in many European countries including festival of India in USSR 1987.
Masters in Geography from Udaipur University Abha has blazed a trail of her own in the sphere of Kathak, a classic northern Indian dance form. Abha began her career as a classical dancer in 1984, completing her Diploma in Kathak under the guidance of late Guru Kundan Lal
Gangani at the National Dance Institute”Kathak Kendra” in New Delhi. Abha went on to attain her professional precision under the training under guidance of late Pt. Durgalal from “Kathak Kendra New Delhi”. Abha’s Kathak training started from age 6 at Badriprasad Sangeet kala kendra, Udaipur, India.
Abha made a First Kathak life size map under guidance of Keshav Kothari “Origin and Development of Kathak” for Kathak kendra, New Delhi in1982.
She is credited for the creation of Aqua Kathak for ‘Asiad’ 84 Sports Festival hosted by the Government of India, and has spent the last 37 years perfecting her art form while constantly looking for new evolutions of Kathak, melding it with everything from Opera, jazz music, Tap to modern dance.