The Kathak COUP'le

They took to dance even before they could understand it or found kindred spirits in each other. But ever since, Tushar and Pooja Bhatt have not just lit up stages across the country, but they have been committed to moulding this generation into not just dancers, but teachers as well. So, it came as a pleasant surprise when the city-based Kathak dancers were bestowed with the prestigious Nataraja Shakuntala Award for the best dancing couple this week at the AttenDANCE Annual Dance Awards at the Alliance Francaise.

“This is our first recognition in the field of art as a dance couple, so it will always remain special to us,” smiles Pooja, believing that this will only help them deliver their best work going forward. Looking up to Kathak heavyweights like Pt. Birju Maharaj and Pt. Durga Lal for inspiration, the duo seamlessly blends the new with tradition. “Most of our choreographies are inspired by mythology and our rich culture. Kathak is already a wonderful form in itself, so we weren’t too keen on breaking it to create something else,” adds Tushar, who runs Kathaakar, a dance company with his wife Pooja. “It translates to ‘the storyteller’ or the one who narrates stories through dance and expressions,” he explains about the school that also raises funds to help artistes injured during performances. Although trained in fashion design, his heart, he believes has always belonged to dance.

“My grandmother was my biggest support and strength. She even paid my dance fee from her pension, without my family knowing of it. I used to practice in front of her too and she in turn encouraged and supported me,” he recollects fondly.

On the other hand, Pooja credits her parents for becoming who she is today. “My mom made sure I didn’t skip practice and my dad dropped me off everyday and waited for hours to pick me up again,” she says. Although their dance vocabularies are different and they are challenged to strike the balance between their work and home life, the husband-wife duo believes that the one thing they have in common is their families’ support to forge dance into a career. It’s also not impossible to see the love they have for each other, their work and for living life to the fullest. “We also enjoy traveling across the world to share our art and knowledge of dance and to explore what their cultures have to offer in return,” they agree, before they wind up for another practice session. This time prepping to ring in 2017, starting with the Kathaakar Festival next month.