"Nrityalika"Dance class was started in the year 1986 by Smt. Kishu Pal at Damodar hall parel teaching Bharatnatyam . The first batch of students were hardly seven or eight in number in the first month. Learning a classical dance like Bharatnatyam was never thought of by many at that time. Slowly and steadily teaching techniques and a methodical approach towards conducting dance classes led to a group of about 30 students by next month. Two more branches were started immedeatly in the following months, one at Saint Paul's convent and another at Nallasopara. The first Annual gathering was held in the year 1986 at Damodar Hall Parel, and the students also performed the Ballet - UTSAV, besides other solo and group dances. The idea of showing all the festivals of Maharashtra in dance form was conceived by Smt. Kishu Pal. The Ballet 'UTSAV' has been performed for more than six hundred times during the last sixteen years. During this period Smt. Kishu Pal also presented the Ballet 'BAL KRANTIVEER SIRISHKUMAR' on Doordarshan for Kilbil Programee.

The number of students rose steadily in the preceding years as parents found it a friendly classical dance class. Folk dance and other cultural dances were started to be taught to the students along with Bharatnatyam. The first outside show performed by our students was for Naval Sports Day at Navynagar Colaba, with a group of eight students.

As the classes were progressing side by side teachers were also developed from the students and till date Nrityalika has been successful in always maintaining a good group of dedicated teachers who besides not only being very good in teaching are very good stage performers also. Almost all our teachers are prize winners in the various dance competitions held by the various T V Channels, as also in the various open competitions held by the Sarvajanik Mandals.The same is the case with our students , and year after mostly all the dance competitions always have at least one or many a times all the winners who are Nrityalika students. Special teacher training classes are taken seperately once every fortnight by Smt. Kishu Pal to upgrade their knowledge and also to keep them informed about the institutions further requirements. This facility is available to all teachers of Nrityalika only

The first clear cut portion was established in 1987 itself and it was distributed in 1989 in printed booklet form. This enabled in maintaining clear &uniform teaching in all the various branches as all the teachers followed the same portion in their respective classes, as also the parent knew what was going to be taught to the child during the time of taking admission itself. Later on a REFERENCE BOOK on BHARATNATYAM was written by Smt. Kishu Pal in the year 1996 and again modified by describing the items in more details both by words and pictures in the year 2000. In the year 2002 the present FOLK DANCE REFERENCE BOOK was printed thereby making the various wordings of each song clear. To make the subject more and more understandable for the present day busy student who is tied up in so many other school, college and office activities AUDIO CASSETTES are also given to the students. These cassettes help the student in practicing at home whenever they want. Video C D's are the planned for the near future. Students are required to make a decorated Note Book every year on the subject which helps them in gathering additional information and a personal collection of matter an pictures on the topic. Parents are allowed to help the child in making note books.

Dance classes are conducted in a very cultured manner keeping the traditional and cultural part of the activities in mind. Disciplined activity is highly expected from all including teachers. Social activity is also an important part of the institutions teaching system. A ten minutes break is provided to the students in the middle of each class, which is called as the Friendship Time, during which the children interact with the other students and also teachers freely thereby sharing knowledge. This time is also for eating snacks if the child wants to. A non portion dance is also performed by the students during this time which refreshes their mind. Small cultural functions like Gurupoornima, Rakhi, New Year's Party or Christmas Party, Diwali party, Vacation closing party, Dandia Day etc. are often held in the individual classes whenever possible. No extra money is asked to be brought for such activities. The student is taught to respect the parents and elders.
Information is passed down to the students in a very clear manner through printed circulars and there is a printed form for each activity. The heads of the institution- Smt Kishu Pal and Shri Krishna Pal as also the teachers are always available for any queries by any parent or student not only during class timings but also on telephone during non-class hours. There is no communication gap between the parent and the managing staff . The institution has two of its



About Smt Kishu Pal

An exponent in classical dances like Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi Smt. Kishu Pal is also well trained in Folk Dances of India. She has learned Bharatnatyam from Gurus Shree Venugopal Pillai & Smt. Jayshree Pillai of Tanjavur Gharana and Kuchipudi from Dr. Venkateshwara Rao of Hyderabad. She had extensive training in folk, creative and cinematic dances from her father Shree Subal Sarkar the renowned Dance Director in film. She also has opportunities to work as an assistant dance director for films done by him. She is having T V Serials, Ad films and Marathi films to her credit as an independent dance director also. Since her childhood she had been touring often with her maternal grandfather the great Ballet performer Shree Sachin Shankar and after starting Nrityalika she has created and choreographed Ballets like UTSAV, BAL KRANTIVEER SIRISH KUMAR, PICNIC and ASMITA MAHARASHTRACHI.

Since her college days at Ruia College - Mumbai, she had many opportunities to choreograph dances for banks, schools, colleges and many other company dance competitions. She reached the rank of Under Officer in N C C. During her college time and was a participant in the Republic Day Parade at Delhi leading the Five Maharashtra Battalion.

After her marriage in 1986,she along with her husband Shri Krishna Pal started the organization 'NRITYALIKA' which was aimed at teaching Bharatnatyam and Folk dances on an institutional system like having standard written down portion, appointing teachers to run various classes at different locations, upgrading teachers knowledge by teachers training classes, having a separate performance section etc. And since then shaping up this institution to have over 26 branches comprising of about 800 students at different locations.

Besides running her own institution she also guides other dance classes at Nashik, Malegaon, Panvel & Alibaug which are affiliated to her institution.

Her choreographed show 'ASMITA MAHARASHTRACHI' - The Cultural Pride Of Maharashtra, has been performed for more than seven hundred times at various locations from small gatherings to nearly all five star hotels, for companies like Cadburys ,Johnson & Johnson, and many more for management & marketing conferences etc. Shows for political rallies held at Nashik for Shiv Sena, Shivaji Park for Samajwadi, Churchgate for Congress, Free India mega event at Thane stadium etc.

Mrs. Kishu Pal had the opportunity to participate for the International Festival at Hongkong and Taiwan, in 2001 with the Indian delegation.

Mrs. Kishu Pal is always sought to judge various dance competitions held by various T V Channels as ETV Marathi, ALPHA Bangla, Doordarshan, Sayadhri etc. Banks, Government Departments, Schools, B M C, L I C. Mumbai Police, MTNL, Provident Fund offices, Inter Ward Dance Competitions, Rotary Clubs, Lions Club, Malhar, Navratri Dandia, Cultural Associations, Fashion Shows and many more.

She is also an examiner for other dance classes examinations . Besides doing all these activities she has written a book on BHARATNATYAM with a teacher approach towards the subject rather than a research book. This book is directly helping student as
a standard portion and is used by many other dances classes as a teaching medium .

She is the publisher and editor of the dance based newspaper 'NRITYASAMACHAR' and has two websites named www.nrityalikadance.com and www.mumbaidance.com