Shambhavi started her training under the able guidance of her own mother and renowned Guru Pandita Maneesha Sathe, a celebrated dancer and a teacher in her own right. Shambhavi then went on to receive intense training in ‘Laya and Tala’ or the aesthetics of Indian Rhythm from Table virtuoso 'Taalyogi' Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. Along with her top-notch traditional dance training, Shambhavi also has a strong academic background with a Bachelors in Commerce and two Masters degrees in Dance. Furthermore, she also holds Diplomas both in French and Sanskrit.
She has performed in Japan, China, Middle East, Canada, Australia and Singapore; needless to mention many reputed venues and dance festivals in India and USA. She is a member of the International Dance Council of UNESCO. ‘Singaar Mani’, ‘Nritya Ratna’, ‘Bharatashree’, ‘Kala Teertha’ are some of the prestigious titles awarded to her in India. She is also a proud recipient of ‘P. L. Deshpande Youth Award’.
She is a high grade artist of Indian National Television. Her performances and interviews have been telecast on TV channels of the USA, Australia, Japan, Singapore and India.
Shambhavi’s rich heritage enables her to impart Kathak training in an authentic and traditional way. However, despite her traditional training, she has broken the bounds of the traditional repertoire and produced innovative masterpieces. Her story-telling in Kathak is unparalleled.
Shambhavi began her teaching career in 1991, under the umbrella of her mother’s dance institute Maneesha Nrityalaya. She founded ‘Shambhavi’s International School of Kathak’ or SISK in 2010 with a vision to encourage the symbiosis of Kathak activities across the globe. Soon after, in 2012 she moved her base to San Francisco, California.
SISK India is a prolific institute with 400 students. It has three locations in Pune which are managed by Tejaswini Sathe, Shambhavi’s ‘Guru Behen’ and sister-in-law, with the aid of 10 assistant teachers. SISK USA is based out of the San Francisco Bay area and is operated by Shambhavi herself. She trains adult students of various levels, aspiring to fulfill their dreams of pursuing Kathak. Furthermore, she invests the majority of her time in training advanced level students and teachers across the USA in mastering the art.