Centre for Performing Arts University of Pune

Centre for Performing Arts, popularly known as Lalit Kala Kendra is a newly developing department of the University of Pune. The Centre offers full time Graduate and Post-Graduate courses in Dance (Kathak and Bharatnatyam), Classical Music (Vocal: Hindustani Classical, Tabla, Sitar) and Theatre. It is for the first time that full time courses in Dance, Music and Theatre are being offered to the students on full time basis under one umbrella on the University campus. Pune University has respected traditional Guru¬shishya Parampara by incorporating Gurukul pattern in the syllabus. Students of the centre continue to learn their performing art with eminent Gurus in the field of Music and Dance, while studying for the graduate and post-graduate courses. Gurus like: pt. Allarakha, Rohini Bhate, Dr. Veena Sahasrabuddbe, Dr. Vikas Kashalkar, Pt. Shrikant Deshpande, Pt. Sudhir Mainkar, Pt. Suresh Talwalkar, Pt. Suresh Samant, Pt. Hemant Pendse, Dr. Sucheta Bhide-Chapekar, Yogini Gandhi, Manisha Sathe, Shobha Abhyankar, Shashikala Shirgopikar, Shama Bhate, Shubhada Paradkar, Pt. Sudir Phadke, Rasika Ekbote and many others regularly visit the centre. They contribute in the teaching besides accepting the students as their Shishyas. Eminent Theatre Artists, Scholars, Playwrights and Directors are on the visiting faculty. They are: Bhakti Barve¬Inamdar, Waman Kendre, Chandrakant Kulkarni, Vijay Kenkare, Shyam Manohar, Dr. Pramod Kale, G.P. Deshpande, Samar Nakhate, Dr. Rajiv Naik, Rekha Inamdar-Sane, Makarand Sathe, Dr. V.B. Deshpande, Dr. Samir Kulkarni, Manisha Dixit, Madhav Vaze, Meena Naik, Dr. Rajiv Sharangpani, Dr. Shridhar Kanitkar and many others. Seniors like Vijay Tendulkar, Mahesh Elkunchwar, Vijaya Mehta regularly visit to conduct workshops for the theatre students.

Eminent national and international personalities visit the Center for conducting Workshops, Seminars, Lecture/ Demonstrations or just to chat with students in the picturesque surrounding of the Centre. The most recent visitors include:
Nirmala Ramchandran (Chennai), Padma Talwalkar (Mumbai), Dr. Richard Scheckner (New York), Dr. Rajshekhar Mansur (Dharwad), pt. Bhaskar Chandawarkar (Pune), Dr. Ashok Ranade (Mumbai), Dr. Farley Richmond (Georgia, USA), BV Karanth (Bangalore), Vijay Tendulkar (Mumbai), Ram Gopal Bajaj (Director, NSD, Delhi), Shyamanand Jalan (Calcutta). Amal and Nissar Allana (Delhi), Nana Patekar (Mumbai), Dr. Peter Erlenwem (Munich), Pt. Babanrao Haldankar (Mumbai), Pt. Bhai Gaitonde (Mumbal).

Center's performing repertory presents concerts of classical music, dance and modern Marathi plays all over the state. This gives the performing student, artists ample opportunity to face the audience. During the last year, this center has presented more than 75 performances at places like Kolhapur, Ambajogai, NASHIK, Malegaon, Goa, Mumbai (at NCPA, Chavan Center, Nehru Center), Ulhasnagar etc.

Center for Performing Arts is also happy to announce that University of Pune has recently established a CHAIR in the name of Pt. Bhimsen Joshi to honour the legendary singer.

The Centre proposes to launch its new syllabus very soon.

The Center functions in close association with a number 12 of cultural organisations like, USIS; Mumbai; British Council, Mumbai; Theatre Academy, Pune; Film & Television Institute of India, Pune; Yashvantrao Chavan Pratishthan, Mumbai; Nehru Center, N.C.P.A., etc.

The Center has now 82 students for graduate and postgraduates courses from all over the state, including two foreign students from Russia and Malaysia respectively. Most of the students come from rural Maharashtra. Samir Dublay, Madhura Moghe, Sujit Joshi, Arundhati Chapekar, Ranjani Ramchandran are the past and present students of Lalit Kala Kendra who are recipients of the Performing Arts Fellowships from the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India.

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