Taal Academy of Kathak Dance

Taal Academy is starting new batch for Adults in Farmington Hills soon.

Don't miss to watch our presentation during the MMD event on February 21st 2026 at:
Lake Orion High School
495 E Scripps Rd, Orion Township, Michigan, 48360.

Contact us for more details on:
[email protected]
248 740 5915

Taal Academy’s Praveshika Pratham kids batch, trained under the guidance of Mentor Gauri Alate (our Gauri Tai), successfully appeared for their final examination on January 17. The examination was conducted by the Mahagujarat Gandharva Sangeet Samiti under the esteemed guidance of Guru Mrs. Madhuri Bhave Ji.

Taal students and teachers are deeply grateful to their beloved Guru Manisha Mandlekar Dongre Manisha tai, for her guidance and blessings.
The influence of Guru Amruta Paranjape Amruta Paranjpe tai, is clearly seen in Gauri’s growth and teaching. Gauri believes teaching Kathak to kids should be joyful, structured, and age-appropriate, while honoring its discipline and beauty.

Heartiest congratulations to their dedication and hard work. Special thanks to Satish Dongre and the parent volunteers for their valuable support.

🚨 New Batches Starting Soon at Taal Academy!

We are excited to share that Taal Academy will soon be starting new batches for both kids (ages 7+) and adults!

If you or someone you know is interested in joining, please feel free to reach out:
📧 [email protected]
📞 (248) 740-5915

Ulka Bhide Amruta Venkatesh Meenakshi Kapoor Shankar Gauri Rajpathak-Alate Medha Sharma Satish Dongre Gauri Ajri Manisha Mandlekar Dongre Amruta Mahajan Vaidehi Dongre Vinita Keshri Vaidehi Dongre Pandya

Taal Academy of Kathak along with cordially invites all of you to experience the magic of Guru Pt. Rajendra Gangani ji, a renowned kathak maestro who will be performing at the THE BHARATIYA TEMPLE OF TROY at 4PM tomorrow - please see the flyer for details. 🙏☺️

Accompanying him are the talented artists - Shri Fateh Singh ji Gangani on Tabla, Shivani Joshi from Portland on vocal & harmonium, and Shri Prakash Murthy ji, on Veena.

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Also, on this Sunday, we are organizing a KATHAK WORKSHOP, please see the flyer for details & register.

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Vinita Keshri Gauri Rajpathak-Alate Manisha Mandlekar Dongre Satish Dongre Meenakshi Kapoor Shankar Ulka Bhide Kavita Rausaria Vaidehi Dongre Anagha Srivatsa Parasar Athmakuri Medha Sharma Bhide Sandhya Sree Athmakuri UshaSree Chamarthy Amruta Mahajan Amruta Venkatesh Chaudhari Venkatesh Nidhi Chopra Gauri Ajri Rimjhim Modi

Continuing the cherished Maitrii traditions, Taal Academy proudly took part in "Amar Nritya Katha"—a captivating production that brought to life the timeless stories of "Amar Chitra Katha." Our performers portrayed the inspiring tale of "Meera" with grace and passion. Our dances were based on original choreography by our beloved Manisha Tai and brought Meera’s journey to the stage.
The performance was met with heartfelt appreciation and concluded with a well-deserved standing ovation.
Here are some glimpses from the magical evening.

Happy Mahashivratri 🙏🏽
Sharing our beloved Manisha tai’s choreography of Sohum har damaru baaje

https://youtu.be/Ji-tmgIC60A

Ulka Bhide Anagha Srivatsa Parasar Athmakuri

Soham Hara Damaru Baje performance at MMD Gudhi Padwa 2024

Happy to announce that Taal will be hosting visiting artist Smt. Madhuri Bhave tai on March 16th, 2025 from 1-4pm for a Kathak workshop! Please Zelle 248-686-4984 to confirm your registration. Due to the content difficult level, this workshop is limited to students with 4+ years of experience.

With profound sadness, we share the news of Manisha Dongre’s untimely demise. She was a devoted mother, a loving wife, and recently a happy mother-in-law. She passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 9, 2024, two days after celebrating her 56th birthday with friends and family.

Manisha was a well-known and admired personality in the Detroit area and within the classical dance circle. She was born in Thane, India on December 6, 1968. Her love for the stage was evident at a very young age. She trained extensively under Guru Smt. Manjiri Deo. Under her guidance, she completed her ‘Visharad’ and ‘Alankaar’ degrees from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Institute. Prior to that, Manisha obtained her Electrical Engineering Diploma and worked for a couple of years in the industry. However her heart was always set on dancing and so after getting married, she quit her job and devoted her life to full time Kathak Dance.

Manisha moved to the metro- Detroit area with Satish and her daughter, Vaidehi in 2000. Since then she has been an active member of the ‘Maharashtra Mandal of Detroit’, performing on stage, directing and presenting many creative dance ballets. She started teaching Kathak & founded ’Taal Academy of Kathak Dance’ which helped establish Kathak in the metro Detroit area along with Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dance styles. Taal Academy and its students continue to uphold Manisha’s legacy today.

Manisha opened her heart and home to people easily. Many friends share stories of dinner invitations and get-togethers; not just for themselves but including their friends or family visiting from out of town. She had a great sense of humor; many of recall her infectious laughter fondly.

Manisha fought bravely against a rare neurological disease for over 6 years. She did not lose faith, nor did she give up hope. Manisha is survived by her loving husband, Satish; children Vaidehi and Vineet; son-in-law Yash Pandya; a sister Sangeeta Joshi and her 92 year old mother Smt. Mangala Mandlekar. She also leaves behind many devoted dance students and caring friends in the U.S. and in India who will miss her dearly.

NEW BATCH ALERT!!! Call 248-740-5915, e-mail [email protected] or DM us for details.

Sharing glimpses from Nrityanubhuti 2024- photo credits to Gunesh Kanitkar

Manisha Mandlekar Dongre Satish Dongre

Ulka Bhide Gauri Rajpathak-Alate Medha Sharma Rimjhim Modi Shirish BhideVinita KeshriAmruta Paranjape Kavita Rausaria Parasar Athmakuri Arkatkar Meenakshi Kapoor Shankar