Nitin Shirale

Kathak    Mumbai

Initially Nitin received training in Kathak and Odissi dance form from eminent exponent Guru Parwati Datta for 12 years in the time honoured GuruShishya Tradition. Later on Nitin studied details and nuances of dance and abhinaya and the finer aspects of dance under the tutelage of Padma Vibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj in Kathak and Guru Kelucharan Mahopatra in Odissi. Nitin is also a Graduate in Environmental science and a Post Graduate in Business Management from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad. He also has an M.A in Dance from Lalit Kala Kendra Pune University, Pune under the great guru Smt. Shama Bhate. He has passed the National Eligibility Test for lectureship conducted by the University Grant Commission (U.G.C) India. Nitin has emerged as a sensitive and refined thinker and young dancer of his generation. He has participated in several prestigious dance and music festivals in India and abroad, notable among them being Sangeet Nritya Mahotsav (Govt. of Maharashtra) Dasharohan, Nritya Pratibha (Aurangabad), Kathak Utsav (Vadodra), Prayas (Pune), Nalanda Nrityotsav (Mumbai) 2010, Ruturang (Aurangabad) 2010, Rangkarmi Utsav-10, Arudhra Natyanjali dance festival 2012 (Tamil Nadu), Pt. Gopikrishan Jayanti Mahotsav 2013. Vishesh Kala Poshaka festival, Chennai 2014, Natrajotsav, Mysore 2014, Natraj Nrityotsav 2014 Hyderabad, International dance and music festivals in Dubai, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Germany, Italy and Brazil. He has been awarded a scholarship for young talented artists by the Department of Culture, Government of India, Junior Research Fellowship in Kathak dance by the Department of Culture, Government of India and the 'Shilpa-Nritya-Tatva in Jainism Fellowship by Jain community Bangalore. He has directed dance dramas like Parikrama, Vaham Rakshami, Amal Ushir and a solo thematic presentation Shree Radha. He has also composed and choreographed Taalvaadya Kacheri - 'Chandaangan', Rhythm Spectrum (Kathak and Chinese Drumming) "Shakti Within" for High Commission of India in Malaysia. He has been awarded the Maharashtra Yuva Puraskar 2006, Shringarmani 2009, Rangkarmi Puraskar 2010, Naatyakumara Puraskar 2013, Kala Vaibhav Puraskar 2014, Girnar Ratna Puraskar 2014, Naad Yogi Samman 2017, Kala Aarpan Puraskar 2017 and Nritya Shiromani 2018. Nitin has performed extensively in South East Asian countries and many international art festivals in other parts of world including Hungary, Germany, Brazil and France. Nitin featured in a national documentary film on dance and heritage at Daulatabad Fort by Delhi Doordarshan. Nitin has featured as a dancer and choreographer in an international documentary by Channel 4 and Anna Pictures, Hyderabad. He is the first Indian dancer interviewed on Astro Channel in Malaysia and Singapore. He conducts dance workshops all over India and conducted special series of art appreciation for art seekers. Nitin has worked as a jury member on a panel for national and international dance and theatre competitions. Nitin was deputed as Kathak dance teacher cum performer at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indian Cultural Centre at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by ICCR, India for three years. At present Nitin is engaged in dissemination of Indian arts in the world through training, workshops and lecture-demonstration sessions and research.