Kathak — Step-by-Step Roadmap
The whole Kathak journey, 0 to 100, in order: who can start, the detailed route, what is open at every age, where to train, who pays, and the jobs and money after. Every step is taken from the same official sources as the main Kathak guide.
Age limits for every course and scholarship
Kathak Kendra courses, session 2026-27 (ages as on 1 June 2026) [1][2]
| Course | Age | Schooling needed | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 10–15 | Continuing school, Class III completed | 5 years |
| Diploma Pass | 15–20 | Continuing school, Class IX completed | 3 years |
| Diploma Honours (full-time, 25 seats) | 19–23 | Class XII passed + Diploma Pass or equivalent | 3 years |
| Post Diploma (full-time, 25 seats) | 21–26 | Graduate + Diploma Honours or equivalent | 2 years |
Central scholarships and fellowships open to dancers [13][15][14]
| Scheme | Age | Amount | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCRT Cultural Talent Search Scholarship | 10–14 | ₹3,600 a year + guru/institution tuition reimbursed up to ₹9,000 a year | 2 years at a time, renewable up to the first degree or age 20; 650 new awards a year |
| Scholarship to Young Artistes (Ministry of Culture) | 18–25, with at least 5 years under a guru or institution | ₹5,000 a month | 2 years; up to 400 a batch; interview before an expert committee |
| Junior Fellowship | 25–40 | ₹10,000 a month | 2 years, for a cultural research project; 200 a batch |
| Senior Fellowship | Above 40 | ₹20,000 a month | 2 years; 200 a batch |
- Kathak Kendra's form needs a passport photo, the ₹200 fee receipt, a medical fitness certificate from an MBBS doctor, qualification and Kathak training certificates, and government ID.
- Doordarshan's form needs proof of age, certificates from your gurus or institutions and press reviews — start a file of every certificate, programme and review from the first year of training. [1][9]
BVA and BFA are visual / fine-arts degrees, not dance degrees. A dancer's routes are an institute diploma (such as Kathak Kendra's) or a performing-arts degree (BPA / MPA) from a recognised university — check the university's recognition before paying any fee.
From a local guru to national stages
The Kathak ladder, step by step [13][1][3][9][14][6][5]
| Stage | Typical age | What happens | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guru–shishya start | Under 10 | Lessons with a local guru; keep a dated certificate for every year of training | Family |
| Talent scholarship | 10–14 | CCRT Cultural Talent Search Scholarship | Govt: ₹3,600 a year + tuition up to ₹9,000 |
| Foundation / Diploma Pass | 10–20 | Kathak Kendra part-time courses alongside school | Family: ₹400–450 a month |
| Full-time training | 19–23 | Diploma Honours; Doordarshan B grade possible from 18 | Family ₹500 a month; Young-artiste scholarship ₹5,000 a month (18–25) |
| Post Diploma | 21–26 | Two more years for graduates; B-High grade from 25 | Family ₹650 a month |
| Early career | 25–40 | Doordarshan bookings, ICCR empanelment, SNA Yuva Puraskar (to 40), Junior Fellowship | Fees, fellowships, award money |
| Senior artiste / guru | 35 + | A (35+) and Top (40+) grades; Akademi Puraskar (35+); a guru's Repertory grant | Ministry of Culture, SNA |
The Ministry of Culture's Repertory grant (Guru–Shishya Parampara) funds one guru and up to 18 shishyas in a dance, music or theatre group: ₹15,000 a month for the guru and ₹2,000–10,000 a month for each shishya, depending on age. [14]
The Sangeet Natak Akademi's own 'Kala Deeksha' (Guru Shishya Parampara) scheme also funds training programmes under named gurus across the country. [17]
Kathak at every age — a guru at 7 to the veteran artist pension at 60
Classical dance has no retirement age. Each stage has its own age window: Kathak Kendra courses from 10, government scholarships at 10–14 and 18–25, Doordarshan grades from 18, fellowships to 40 and beyond, Akademi honours from 35 and 50, and support for veteran artists from 60. [1][13][9][14][5]
Type an age to light up every group you can enter.
- Under 10years
-
10–14years
Child
CCRT talent scholarship
₹3,600 a year plus your guru's tuition up to ₹9,000 a year; renewable to your first degree or age 20. 650 new awards a year. [13]
- 10–20years
- 18–25years
- 19–26years
- 25–40years
- 35+years
-
40+years
Senior artiste
Senior Fellowship · guru
Senior Fellowship ₹20,000 a month for 2 years. A guru's Repertory grant funds one guru (₹15,000 a month) and up to 18 shishyas. [14]
-
50+years
Senior artiste
Akademi Ratna (Fellow)
Ordinarily 50 and above; at most 40 living Fellows; ₹3 lakh. [5]
-
60+years
Senior artiste
Veteran Artists assistance
Up to ₹6,000 a month for artistes aged 60+ with annual income up to ₹72,000; it passes to the spouse. [14]
Where to train — verified 2026-27 details
- Kathak Kendra (National Institute of Kathak Dance), New Delhi — a unit of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, established in 1964; it also teaches Hindustani vocal music, pakhawaj and tabla.
- 2026-27 forms were available 6–27 June 2026 (online at admission@kathakkendra.in or at the reception), fee ₹200; applicants sit a pre-admission test and are admitted on merit and seats; orientation was on 10 July 2026. [4][1]
Kathak Kendra fee structure [3]
| Course | Fee |
|---|---|
| Foundation | ₹400 a month |
| Diploma Pass | ₹450 a month |
| Preparatory phase (for Diploma Honours) | ₹500 a month |
| Diploma Honours | ₹500 a month |
| Post Diploma | ₹650 a month |
| Refresher | ₹1,250 a month |
| ICCR scholarship holders | ₹5,000 a month |
| One-time at admission | ₹300 admission + ₹1,000 security deposit + ₹500 library (non-refundable) |
- Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi (founded 1939, affiliated to Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Mumbai) teaches Kathak and Odissi; dance admission age is 11 and above (as on 1 May 2026).
- Audition: a 2-minute dance sequence with your own music; Kathak classes are 45 minutes, 3 days a week; 75% attendance is compulsory.
- 2026-27 fees: form ₹500, admission ₹5,000, tuition and instrument fee ₹3,000 a month (Indian nationals), all in cash.
- For the 2026 batch, the Vidyalaya teaches from Prarambhik to Alankar Purna but does not hold the Mandal's exams — students sit them privately at other centres. [10]
Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Lucknow also teaches Kathak, but its official website could not be reached when Margdarshan checked (16 Oct 2026), so its seats, fees and dates are not quoted here. Take them only from the university's own notice.
What Kathak training costs — and who pays
Costs that are published in official notices [3][10][9]
| Item | Amount | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Kathak Kendra Diploma Honours tuition | ₹500 a month (₹6,000 a year) | Family, or a scholarship |
| Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi | ₹5,000 admission + ₹3,000 a month | Family |
| Doordarshan grading / upgrading | ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 per application | The artiste |
- Guru's fees, ages 10–14: the CCRT scholarship reimburses actual tuition paid to the guru or institution up to ₹9,000 a year.
- Advanced training, ages 18–25: the Ministry of Culture's young-artiste scholarship pays ₹5,000 a month for 2 years.
- Touring abroad: under the Ministry of Culture's Global Engagement Scheme, all expenditure on deputing an artist to a 'Festival of India' abroad is borne by the Government.
- Institutions: Sangeet Natak Akademi grants-in-aid to training institutions run from ₹30,000 to ₹1,00,000 a year — and expressly do not pay for musical instruments, stage lights or other capital items. [13][15][16][7]
Gandharva Mahavidyalaya's rules tell dance students to bring their own ghungroo, notebook and towel, and to follow the teacher's dress code (kurta-churidar, salwar-kameez or frock-slacks with dupatta). [10]
Ghungroo, stage costumes, jewellery and recorded music are bought by the family. No Government file publishes a price list, and how many bells a ghungroo set carries is the guru's call — so Margdarshan does not print prices. Ask the guru for an itemised list, buy practice wear first, and buy stage costumes only when a performance is fixed.
How Kathak artistes earn — and what the government offers
- A Doordarshan grade is not a salary: graded artists 'may be given an opportunity to showcase their talent' on Doordarshan's platform when the Kendra needs them. [9]
- Guru's Repertory grant: ₹15,000 a month (Ministry of Culture).
- Junior / Senior Fellowship: ₹10,000 / ₹20,000 a month for 2 years of research.
- Festival engagements: Zonal Cultural Centres engage artists from across India for the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs — 14 held since November 2015.
- Old age: Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists pays up to ₹6,000 a month to artistes aged 60+ with annual income up to ₹72,000; it passes to the spouse on death.
- Prize money: SNA Yuva ₹25,000, Akademi Puraskar ₹1 lakh, Akademi Ratna ₹3 lakh. [14][6][5]
A senior government post in the field — as advertised [8]
| Post | Pay | Age | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director, Kathak Kendra (SNA), contract 1 year, extendable to 3 | Pay Level 11 — ₹67,700–2,08,700 | 40–50 (relaxable) | PG degree, preferably in humanities, social science, music, dance or drama; experience running performing-arts schemes, especially Kathak and classical music |
There is no 'cultural quota' in the central sports-quota rules: DoPT's list of qualifying disciplines covers games and sports only — no dance or music form is on it. Government work for a dancer comes through open teaching and academy posts, graded broadcast and festival engagements, and the schemes above. [18]
Where this roadmap comes from
The sources cited on this page, numbered as on the main Kathak guide, read on 16 October 2026. Trials, age rules and scheme amounts change — open the current file before you act on it.
- Kathak Kendra — Admission, session 2026-27 (opens in a new tab) Course ages and schooling, 2026 form dates, ₹200 fee, documents, pre-admission test · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- Kathak Kendra — Courses (Elementary and Advanced) (opens in a new tab) Diploma Honours and Post Diploma entry standards, repertoire and theory · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- Kathak Kendra — Fee Structure (opens in a new tab) Monthly fees by course, admission, security and library charges, payment rules · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- Sangeet Natak Akademi — Kathak Kendra (constituent unit) (opens in a new tab) Status as SNA unit, 1964, music courses, Lucknow and Jaipur gharanas, state Kathak Kendras · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- Sangeet Natak Akademi — Guidelines for SNA Fellowship & Award (opens in a new tab) Akademi Ratna and Puraskar purse, numbers, dance categories, age, election · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- Sangeet Natak Akademi — Guidelines for Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (opens in a new tab) Age up to 40, 33 awards, ₹25,000, nominators, festival performance · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- Sangeet Natak Akademi — Grants-in-aid to cultural institutions (opens in a new tab) ₹30,000–₹1,00,000 grants; no money for instruments or other capital items · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- Sangeet Natak Akademi — Vacancy circular: Director, Kathak Kendra (2025) (opens in a new tab) Pay Level 11, age 40–50, qualifications, contract term · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- Prasar Bharati / DG Doordarshan — Guidelines for Gradation & Audition of Dance Artists (27 Feb 2025) (opens in a new tab) Grades, minimum ages, fees, audition segments, boards, exemption, re-audition gap · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi — Prospectus 2026-27 (opens in a new tab) Courses, ABGMVM levels, admission ages, audition, fees, rules · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- ICCR — Empanelment of Artists/Groups: Introduction (opens in a new tab) Age 18+, year-round applications, annual expert committees · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- CCRT (Ministry of Culture) — Cultural Talent Search Scholarship Scheme (opens in a new tab) Age 10–14, ₹3,600 a year + tuition up to ₹9,000, 650 awards, renewal to age 20 · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- PIB — Financial assistance to traditional artists, folk artists and cultural institutions (Lok Sabha, 16 Mar 2026) (opens in a new tab) Repertory grant, scholarships, Junior/Senior Fellowships, Veteran Artists, Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- PIB — Financial Grant Scheme for Young Artists (Lok Sabha, 10 Mar 2025) (opens in a new tab) ₹5,000 a month, ages 18–25, 5 years' prior training, expert-committee interview · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- PIB — Financial Assistance Schemes for Traditional Artists (Rajya Sabha, 27 Mar 2025) (opens in a new tab) Global Engagement Scheme — Government bears all expenditure for Festival of India artists · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- PIB — Preservation and Promotion of Cultural Heritage (17 Mar 2025) (opens in a new tab) SNA 'Kala Deeksha' Guru Shishya Parampara training programmes · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
- DoPT — Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons (18 Nov 2022) (opens in a new tab) Qualifying list is games and sports only — no performing arts · Last checked 16 Oct 2026
How the art form is taught and judged, recognition and the traps to avoid.