Guru Shama Bhate also known as Shama Tai, is among the Kathak exponents in India today. Her career spans over 40 years and she has been learning and performing Kathak from the age of 4 and has been a teacher and is involved with choreography and training many Kathak dancers in India. She is also the artistic director of her Dance Academy Nadroop in Pune
Personal life
Guru Shama Bhate was born in Belgaum on 6 October 1950. Born to Smt Gulab Baisa Naik and Sri Ganagadhar G Naik. She is married to Sanat Bhate, who is the son of Guru Rohini Bhate, in 1974 and has a son Angad Bhate.
Training
Guru Shama Bhate is the principal disciple and daughter in law of Guru Smt. Rohini Bhate. She has also had her training from Kathak Samrat Pt. Birju Maharaj and Pt. Mohanrao Kallianpurkar. Her idiom of Kathak dance which has been developed over many years of learning's from the above-mentioned gurus and from self learning has led to a blending, which has special inputs in ‘Taal’ and ‘Laya’, from tabla taal maestro and exponent Pt. Suresh Talwalkar. Over the years, Guru Shama Bhate has trained numerous professional Kathak Dancers who are performing and teaching independently both in India and abroad. She is also on the board of many universities and functions as one of the senior Guru’s in Lalit Kala Kendra of Pune University, Nalanda College of Mumbai University, Bharat College of Nagpur University, Bharati Vidyapeeth in Pune. Under her guidance, more than thirty of her students have acquired a post-graduate degree from various universities and as many as 12 students have been awarded the HRDC National scholarship, and also CCERT scholarship
Choreographic Work
Guru Shama Bhate’s choreographic work is extensive. She has experimented with both traditional as well as contemporary format of Kathak. She has created a repertoire of traditional and classical compositions –Taals, Taranas, Thumris etc. with her own perspective. For instance, Trishul ; Samvaad, Layasopan. A more recent production from 2015 saw her drawing inspiration from the Indian Epic Mahabaratha and created the "Ateet ki Parchhaiyan - Reflections on the Mahabharata Saga" with dancers performing 7 different Indian classical and Indian folk dance forms. Another choreography that was performed by her students from Nadroop during the occasion of the 85th birthday celebration of the singer Lata Mangeshkar, was the dance ballet 'Chala Vahi Des'. Some of her most recent production in 2018 are 1. Chaturang Ki Chaupal - this production introduces the four components of Chaturang-Sahitya, Sargam, nach ke Bol and Tarana in four Ragas intricately woven together with music showcasing the richness of this production. 2. Echoes - Shama Tai's latest choreography is inspired by the Inner Voice and focuses on bhaav and abhinaya through the medium of five stories Guru Shama Bhate also organizes and curates the Madame Menaka Choreography Movement, a proverb based choreography festival which happens on an annual basis in Pune.
