Maitreyee Pahari

Maitreyee was born in Midnapur, West Bengal. Her fascination for the arts, especially the traditional forms of music and dance, took her to the deep interiors of rural Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in search of her objective – the preservation, promotion and propagation of the traditional culture of rural India.

She has her own repertory – Lok Chhanda Cultural Unit, it comprises of young enthusiasts from both rural & urban area of Midnapur Dist.They strive to revive the dying.

Choreography was her ultimate ambition and for a better understanding of this, she found it necessary to learn a classical form of dance. She joined Kathak Kendra in Delhi, under the tutelage of Pt. Birju Maharaj, as a recipient of the National Scholarship. She is also a graduate of Rabindra Bharati University – Kolkata, majoring in Manipuri Dance (for which she was awarded a gold medal).

Awarded the Charles Wallace Fellowship in 2003, she visited England and Scotland for dance workshops, choreographic collaborations and performances.

Maitreyee has performed widely all over India and abroad. She has co-ordinated and choreographed numerous events for the ICCR, Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Ministries of Culture, Tourism, Education, Commerce, External Affairs etc. like – Lok Tarang; Octave; U.N. – 60; SAARC Summit; M. P. Divas; Rajasthan Day; Pravasi Bharatiya Divas; Regent Street Festival-London; Edinburgh Festival; Days of Delhi-Moscow; India@60-New York, “India Show” in South Africa & Ghana, the inauguration of the “World Expo” in Shanghai, “Gruzei India” in Switzerland, “India Festival” in Spain, Glasgow & Germany, Edinburgh Fringe in Edinburgh. She has also choreographed several productions for private institutions and organizations. She has also participated in numerous dance festivals like – Konark Festival, Thanjavur Festival, Rajgir Mahotsav, Bodh Gaya Mahotsav, Kalidas Mahotsav, Khajuraho Festival, Uday Shankar Festival in Kolkata & Guwahati and various other cities in India & abroad.