Ruchi Sanghi Dance Company

Australia’s premier classical and contemporary Indian Dance company and school.

Kathak is one of the eight major classical dance forms of India, originating from Uttar Pradesh.

Derived from the Sanskrit word katha (meaning “story”), it began as a tradition where “kathakars” (wandering storytellers) narrated Hindu epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, poetry and science through rhythmic footwork, expressive mime, and music… lorekeepers, educators, mood-lifters and historians.

As are Kathak dancers.

READ MORE here: ‘The Katha of Kathak’ [on site, new window]

PAASBAAN - THE MUSICAL

TO PROTECT WAS HER DUTY. TO DESTROY, HER FATE.

From the creators of “Anarkali the Musical” and “Devdas the Musical” comes a new stage spectacular, ‘Paasbaan’.

A tale of love and destruction – where protection becomes destiny and courage rises from the ruins of a crumbling world. Three years in the making, Paasbaan brings together over a hundred artists in a breathtaking fusion of dance, drama, and music. Featuring a completely original story, choreography, and score, with lavish costumes, intricate jewellery, and grand sets that transport you to another era.

Two shows only - 25 July 2026, NIDA, Sydney.

RUCHI SANGHI started her dance training at age 7, firstly at the prestigious Kathak Kendra (the National Institute of Kathak Dance in New Delhi), under esteemed Guru Rajendra Gangani of the Jaipur Gharana (the latter meaning “house”.

Further reading in ‘The Katha of Kathak’)

Later Ruchi moved to Mumbai and studied under the tutelage of the legendary Kathak dancer, actor and choreographer Guru Natraj Gopi Krishna.

There her natural talent flourished and she began to develop and expand on the Kathak style popularized by her Guru, absorbing not just Kathak but also Indian Folk and Bollywood dance forms.

Natraj Gopi Krishna “was an exponent of the Benares Gharana style of Kathak. He incorporated many elements of Kathakali and Bharatnatyam in his dance.”- Wikipedia

Ruchi founded the Sydney-based RSDC in 2002 not long after migrating to Australia.

Preserving her love of and the art of Kathak not just for herself but also the diaspora, and providing connoisseurs of global and Indian culture performances that expand horizons without leaving borders.

RSDC’s productions are cinematic stage extravaganzas. While mostly traditional and historical and always carrying a message, the company also showcases contemporary pieces to represent Australia’s multicultural cross-culture.

I was the official photographer of their productions from 2013 to 2024, first connecting with RSDC as a dancer myself, through the Flamenco dance school I was with [a story I share in PUBLISHER’S LOG XX/07].

In 2013, RSDC staged a lavish production of ‘Devdas’, the romantic-tragedy story adapted from Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s 1917 novel Devdas, with its most famous adaptation being the 2002 blockbuster movie directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, starring Aishwarya Rai as Paro, Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi and and Shah Rukh Khan as the titular Devdas.

I travelled with the company to Canberra where they performed to a packed theatre, and one of my best memories was backstage, listening to the chatter and laughter of dancers of all ages, the sounds of ghungroo bells and “g’day cobber” accents filling me with hope.

Indo-Australian children preserving history while making new stories.

Both Ruchi’s daughters are heavily involved with RSDC, as dancers since childhood and as they grew, stage managers and choreographers. The eldest now serves as Assistant Director [as well as a Principal Dancer].

READ: STARLIGHT on NIHARIKA SANGHI [July 2026]

As a teacher Ruchi is dedicated to helping her students realize their maximum potential as dancers.

Her teaching style is inclusive and expansive, ensuring students under her tutelage become polished without rigidity.

“RSDC mainly practices the Benares Gharana of Kathak in Shri Gopi Krishna’s style, but at more advanced levels students are exposed to compositions from all three Gharanas.”- RSDC site