About Us
Shivantika offers classes in singing, dancing, yoga, and tabla for students of all ages and levels. Whether you want to explore your creativity, improve your health, or deepen your cultural knowledge, we have something for you.
Awantika
Having started singing when she was two and a half, Awantika performed her first concert when she was four. With support from her father, she initially trained in Bundeli Folk Music with Pt. Jairam Trivedi, Urmila Pandey & the late Shri Deshraj Pateria. Later, she learned Hindustani classical and semi-classical music with Shri Gyanesh Zadiya and completed her graduation under Smt. Asha Khare. Awantika is currently studying with Shri Aashish Narayan Tripathi.
Awantika developed a keen interest in Kathak dancing when she was six, initially learning from Shri Chavi Kumar Nayak. She later trained with Pt. Ram Mohan Maharaj and is currently learning from Smt. Malti Shyam.
Awantika was touched by Sadhguru in 2017 and participated in the transformative Isha yoga programmes which inspired her to go on and be trained as a Hatha Yoga Teacher taking the vigorous teachers training programme in 2021.
She has been a regular artist on All India Radio, was a scholar artist from CCRT and is an Empanelled artist from ICCR. She co-directed many Dance Dramas for the Indian Music Centre in Taiwan, where she performed at the 51st Asia Film Festival. She won the Bundeli Utsav Basari for eight years and performed at the Japan- India Friendship festival in Tokyo and the KIFF International film festival in Khajuraho. She has worked in Taiwan since 2005 and is involved in organising the Indian October Festival in the UK at The Fold Bransford where she is a director and spends time spreading Indian culture in the U.K. She still has many students in Taiwan and spends a few months in India to support her students there.
Akash
Akash was introduced to the tabla at the age of two. Many great players would come to visit the family home to accompany his sister Awantika and Akash was always in awe of their skills and the relationship between voice and drum.
At six he was fortunate to be trained by Shri Bhogi Ram Ratonia, and he gave his first public performance aged eight. Over the next few years he studied and practised and when he was eleven entered a local competition with the best tabla players of Khajuraho which to his surprise he won.
This spurred him on and in 2005, aged twelve he travelled with Awantika to Taiwan to give forty performances in just two months! The next year his tour included the prestigious 51st Asia pacific film festival Taipei, Taiwan and the following year the Japan India Friendship Festival in Tokyo.
In 2010 he met the renowned tabla player Pandit Akhilesh Bhatt, of the Benares Gharana currently living in Delhi, who accepted him as his student. He has groomed Akash in the finest creativity and clarity of Bols and helped him see how the tabla can support and bring the most out of a Kathak dance performance.
When travelling abroad Akash is always interested to learn from the music and percussion of that country but always comes back to the infinite possibilities of what can be created on the Indian tabla. He is currently studying for a masters and also plays the traditional Dholak.
What We Do
Singing
Learn the basics of Indian classical music, such as ragas (melodic modes), talas (rhythmic cycles), alap (improvisation), and bandish (composition). You will also learn how to sing different genres of Indian music, such as bhajans (devotional songs), ghazals (poetic songs), and Bollywood songs. Our singing classes are taught by Awantika herself.
Dancing
Learn the graceful and expressive art of Kathak, one of the eight classical dances of India. You will learn how to use your body, face, hands, and feet to tell stories through dance. You will also learn the technical aspects of Kathak, such as footwork, spins, gestures, and postures. Our dancing classes are taught by Awantika herself, along with his senior disciples. You can also learn choreography on classical based songs of Indian cinema.
Tabla
Shivantika offers tabla courses for beginners, intermediate and advanced players either one to one or in small groups.
Beginners start with an introduction to tabla, playing techniques, teentaal rhythm patterns and tuning the tabla. Our Intermediate course introduces new taals and improved finger skills, whilst our Advanced training further develops one to become a competant tabla player.
Yoga
Isha Hatha Yoga programs are an unparalleled opportunity to learn practices derived from a yogic tradition maintained in its full purity and vibrancy for thousands of years.
The classes are conducted by a highly trained teacher and require no special physical agility or previous experience of yoga.