Our Guru

Our Guru, Pallavi Tai Degwekar is a devoted Kathak artist, Guru, and cultural ambassador who has dedicated her life to the preservation and propagation of this timeless classical art form. As the Founder and Artistic Director of Pallavi Kathak Gurukul, she walks the sacred path of Guru and guide, preserving lineage while awakening the dancer within each student she touches.

With over 25 years of teaching and performing experience, Tai’s artistic journey reflects both depth and discipline. In recognition of her work as a cultural ambassador, she has been invited as a guest lecturer at Colgate University in New York. She has also presented her original productions at many esteemed venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the New York Kathak Festival, the Indian Consulate in New York City, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as a special presentation for the Tata Consultancy Services Foreign Delegate Conference in India.

As an arts educator, Tai has trained hundreds of students through a structured and rigorous curriculum at Pallavi Kathak Gurukul. She is a certified center in-charge and examiner for Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University School of Performing Arts, enabling students to pursue formal diplomas and advanced degrees in dance and music.

Her contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors such as the Singar Mani title from Sur Singar Samsad, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratibha Puraskar National Award from Delhi, and the Individual Artist Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, to name a few.

Above all, Tai teaches that Kathak is not merely performance — it is sadhana, discipline, and devotion. Through her guidance, students learn not only technique, but humility, resilience, and reverence for the lineage they represent.

Pillars

Smt. Asha Tai Joglekar

Guru Pallavi Tai began her Kathak journey at the age of ten when she was accepted as a student by one of India's most revered Gurus, Smt. Asha Tai Joglekar, fondly known as "Maushi" by all. Our Nani-guru, learnt from legendary maestros such as Pandit Birju Maharaj-ji, Pandita Rohini Bhate-ji, and Nataraj Gopi-Krishna-ji. Through such diverse training, she integrated her knowledge and taught her disciples an amalgamation of all three Gharanas - highlighting the best characteristics of each.

She opened up the doors to Kathak in Pallavi Tai’s life, shaping her career as an artist and profoundly influencing the person she is today.

Tai fondly recalls Maushi's words, "Keep dancing till your last breath!" and is determined to do everything in her power to keep her dance lineage alive.

Pt. Birju Maharaj

A legend of Kathak, Pandit Birju Maharaj embodied elegance, rhythm, and storytelling in its purest form. Training under his guidance was a cherished blessing for Pallavi Tai, as she absorbed the refined beauty of the Lucknow Gharana. A birthday shared with him during the Sadhana Festival at his Kalashram stands among her most treasured moments.

Taalyogi Pt. Suresh Talwalkar

A Kathak dancer must carry within her a deep and unwavering command over Taal and Laya — the very heartbeat of the art form. Pallavi Tai holds profound gratitude for Suresh Dada, whose vibrant and disciplined pedagogy nurtured this rhythmic strength within her.

Through his uniquely engaging and spirited teaching, he transformed discipline into delight, shaping not just her technique, but her musical sensibility. Those training sessions were alive with energy — Kathak and tabla students learning side by side, immersed in the shared language of rhythm. His generous words of appreciation for her choreography and execution became seeds of confidence, continuing to inspire and guide her artistic journey even today.

In honoring his legacy, Tai places great emphasis on Taal and Laya in her own Gurukul. She thoughtfully weaves structured rhythmic exercises into her classes, ensuring that every student develops a strong, rooted foundation — one that allows their artistry to blossom with precision, grace, and confidence.