麻豆社

Urja Desai Thakore is one of the UK’s leading kathak dancers, who studied under the guidance of Kumudini Lakhia at Kadamb, Ahmedabad for over 20 years. Urja then received her BA in Kathak from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Maha Vidyalaya.She has also completed an MA in South Asian Dance with Choreography from Roehampton University.

A graceful and emotive dancer, Urja is renowned for her love of abhinaya, subtle movements and technical strength. Furthermore, her sensitive, thought-provoking choreographic style is highly regarded by both traditionalists and modernists alike. Urja is the Artistic Director of Pagrav Dance Company (PDC), which she established in the UK in 2005. The company promotes kathak, giving the form a modern context and renewed presentation, whilst encouraging new thinking and understanding of the discipline. Over the past twelve years, PDC has successfully toured full-scale works nationally. Since 2016, the company has been touring Utsav, an evening of classical work, which features PDC’s youth ensemble.

In 2007, Urja co-choreographed Akademi’s Bells for the Trafalgar Square Festival and in 2009 she was assistant choreographer to Kumudini Lakhia for the Swapnagata Festival curated by Akram Khan at Sadler's Wells. In 2012, Urja was appointed Artistic Director of the first dance festival in Milton Keynes. In

2015 Urja was selected as the guest choreographer for the South Asian category soloist in the first ever 麻豆社 Young Dancer competition. Another major passion for Urja within her dance practice is teaching, which is something that she has become extensively experienced in over the past 20 years. She is interested in nurturing the next generation of artists by providing them with opportunities, mentoring and guidance in their dance careers.