Pittsburgh · Founded 2004
A Center Stage for Indian Dances
An Indian classical and folk dance academy in Pittsburgh, teaching Kathak from the Jaipur and Banaras gharanas, along with folk and bollywood dances from across India.
The Academy
Modern life has become mechanical, mundane, and stressful, leaving many of us in pursuit of some form of fun. Dance introduces you to a facet of yourself you may never have known existed. You discover confidence that routine may have buried, and above all, it allows you to have fun — simple, exhilarating fun.
Culture and spirituality have long defined India to the rest of the world. If they are the flavors of India, then dance is its punch. Dance is an art form considered both sacred and spiritual in India and has long been used as an expression of devotion to the divine. Guiding you into this vibrant world of Indian dance and introducing these traditions in their authentic form is Guiding Star Productions.
Located in the North Hills and South Hills of Pittsburgh, Guiding Star Productions is the endeavor of Varun Mahajan and Sonia Mahajan, who share a passion for nurturing and celebrating South Asian dance culture beyond the shores of India. Creating awareness, appreciation, and education about Indian dance in the Pittsburgh community is at the heart of their mission.
Programs
The academy specializes in Kathak, following the renowned Jaipur and Banaras gharanas; Punjabi folk dances, including Bhangra and Giddha; Rajasthani folk dances such as Ghoomar and Kalbelia; and other Indian folk traditions, including Garba, Dandiya Raas, and Lavani. The academy also teaches semi-classical, Bollywood, and fusion dance styles, bringing together India’s rich classical, folk, and contemporary dance traditions.
01
Primary classical program
North India · Benaras gharana
Classical storytelling
Derived from katha, the art of storytelling. Kathak conveys ancient stories through mudra, facial expression, and footwork, accompanied by ghungroo and tabla.
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02
Punjab
Punjabi harvest dance
Energetic, acrobatic, and captivating. Bhangra is native to Punjab and celebrates the joyous time of harvest with drums and Punjabi lyrics.
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03
Punjab
Punjabi women’s folk
The women of Punjab express festivity at Lohri or Teej through Giddha — as energetic as Bhangra, with claps, bolis, and drums.
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04
Gujarat
Gujarati stick dance
Swaying color, foot-tapping beats, and the rhythmic clatter of sticks. Dandiya traces its roots to Gujarat and is danced in its glory during Navratri.
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05
Rajasthan
Rajasthani folk
Sinuous movement and body sways, traditionally in black garments with silver embroidery, performed on the been associated with snake charmers.
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06
Rajasthan
Rajasthani turns
A Rajasthani dance performed by women in bright lehengas, turning and gyrating to songs of victory and valor.
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07
Indian cinema
Film dance
Bollywood names the Indian film industry, and dance is integral to it. These dances are fast, energetic, and in tune with current styles.
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08
Contemporary Indian dance
Lighter classical · east-west music
Semi-classical dance retains the essence of classical form with easier movement. Fusion sets Indian dance steps to music that joins eastern and western sound.
Explore programHeritage
Classical dances in ancient India were closely associated with temples and spiritual traditions and were therefore considered highly sacred. Guiding Star Productions aims to preserve and portray that richness while sharing the many vibrant hues of Indian dance with students eager to learn these traditions in this part of the world.
As trained Indian dancers themselves, Varun and Sonia recognized the need for a Kathak academy in the Pittsburgh area that would teach this classical art form alongside other Indian dance traditions. They took it upon themselves to introduce Kathak and a wide variety of vibrant Indian dance forms to the Pittsburgh community.
Dance is one of the oldest forms of human expression. Whether the emotion is happiness or sadness, dance provides a powerful outlet for expressing one’s feelings. India has a long and rich tradition of diverse dance forms, with different regions developing their own distinctive classical and folk traditions. Indian classical dance has deep connections to the Natyashastra, attributed to Bharata Muni, an ancient treatise on the performing arts that describes elements such as body movements, hand gestures or mudras, expression, rhythm, and music. Indian dance traditions are broadly represented through classical and regional folk forms, each reflecting the extraordinary cultural diversity of India.
Read the school storyRecitals
The live site’s most complete highlight videos are from 2019. Later years are structured for the archive and marked in progress.
Faculty
Co-founder
Before receiving a master’s degree in Indian classical dances at the Nateshwar Kala Mandir Institute, Ms. Mahajan studied extensively under guru Shri Beeru Pawar ji, who introduced her to many forms of Indian classical and folk dances.
Ms. Mahajan eventually earned Visharad under the guidance of guru Surinder Kumar ji and Beeru Pawar ji. She specializes in the Banaras and Jaipur gharana style of Kathak along with several other folk dances of India, and has been performing Indian classical and folk dances for many years.
Ms. Mahajan made her acting debut in 2010 as Sundari in Living in America. She played Daisy in the musical Where is the Culture? (2011). Her role of Meera in the musical Arranged Marriage (2013) is described on the existing site as bringing accolades from theater critics and dance connoisseurs.
Contact
Guiding Star Productions teaches in Pittsburgh’s North Hills and South Hills. Write or call using the details published on the existing website.
