Avijit, a Bharatanatyam dancer, dedicated himself to passing on the knowledge and expertise he acquired during his dance career. He has received a national scholarship and achieved A-grade Doordarshan artist status. He was also honored with the Natwar Gopikishan National Award in 2019.

Avijit Kundu is a dance performer and teacher at Nrityadhee in Bengaluru.

Originally from Kolkata, Avijit is the first member of his Bengali family to choose performing arts as a career. He completed his graduation in Political Science and obtained a master degree in Folk Culture. He fondly recalls his school days, cherishing them as some of the most memorable moments.

His journey into dance began with an initial inclination toward Odissi. However, he found himself captivated by his first Bharatanatyam master's performance, inspiring him to pursue this dance form. He emphasizes his deep connection and self-discovery within the art.

Describing Bharatanatyam, he explains its origins in the temple tradition, evolving from a spiritual practice to a stage format. Renowned performers like E. Krishna Iyer and Rukmini Devi Arundale played pivotal roles in its resurgence. The dance involves instruments such as the mridangam, nadaswaram, nattuvangam, flute, violin, and veena.

His role model is Padma Shri Leela Samson, whose depth of knowledge of the dance form and teaching style have significantly influenced him. He considers himself blessed to have learned from her, even if only for a brief moment.

Recounting his struggles, Avijit states that going through all the struggles has made him stronger, and today he calls them some of his sweetest memories. His struggles started right from the beginning, when he had a tough time convincing his parents about pursuing the art field, as they wanted him to do some professional degree like engineering. However, the toughest time was when he used to travel from Kolkata to Chennai three to four times in a year to learn the dance form; however, he views these challenges as valuable memories that strengthened him to overcome obstacles.

Sharing his achievements, Avijit shares that he has received numerous awards, but being loved and respected by his students and appreciated for his work by the audience is his biggest achievement. In 2015, he received a national scholarship and achieved an A-grade Doordarshan artist status in 2019. The same year, he was honored with the Natwar Gopikishan National Award.

To all those who want to pursue classical dance, he advises them that before you start learning any classical dance form, first be sure about the purpose of learning and make a detailed strategy for how you will handle everything. Do not look for shortcuts, and invest plenty of time in learning. He emphasizes dancing for personal happiness first and then for others, encouraging performers to immerse themselves in the devotion of the art.

Addressing the younger generation, Avijit underscores the responsibility to preserve and enrich art forms inherited from our ancestors. He advocates adding value without compromising purity, ensuring the art is passed on to the next generation with authenticity.

Avijit believes in giving back to society.