Sampada Pillai

Sampada Pillai is a Kathak dancer, choreographer, and founder of Riddham Kathak School in Bangalore, with over 20 years of experience in teaching, composing, and performing Indian classical Kathak. A disciple of Late Guru Pandita Dr. Rohini Bhate, she has learnt at an advanced level with focus on the nuances of Kathak in all its aspects - nritta, nritya, abhinaya and theory. With training in the Guru - Shishya Parampara, Sampada’s dance artistry is a synthesis of both Lucknow and Jaipur gharanas. Her knowledge and practice imbibes from traditional compositions handed down through generations of the gharanas, while creating new compositions without stepping out of the tradition.

Holding an M.A. in Kathak and a B.F.A. in Painting, Sampada blends classical techniques with Latin American dance, Indian folk, and freestyle. Her acclaimed productions include "Tattva" (2023), a three-hour dance drama for 555 children, and "Yugal Nritya" (2022) tracing Kathak's history. She has also co-choreographed short film Radha Bhakti Sudha that received the Jury's Special Mention Award at the New York Short Film festival in 2008. Sampada has experience in creating, composing and choreographing Kathak content, syllabi, theory and preparing students for competitive exams. and curated festivals honoring dance legacies.