Sangeet
Natak Akademi is one of the best academies of India dedicated to music
(sangeet), dance (natak) and other performing arts. Situated in the
Rabindra Bhavan, on Feroze Shah Road of New Delhi, it also serves as a
resource center, comprising of a large audio-visual archive. There is a
gallery inside the Akademi that exhibits an array of folk and classical
musical instruments, masks, costumes and so on. Sangeet Natak Akademi of
Delhi also houses a library that lodges some of the rarest, and
otherwise unobtainable, volumes.The academy is an autonomous organization that is financed by the Government. As a means of promoting performing arts in India, Sangeet Natak Academy of New Delhi honors talented artists in the field of performing arts on an annual basis. Along with shows by the famous artists as well as amateurs in the field of performing arts, the Akademi also arranges training programs. Scholarships are also awarded to the promising artists to help them in achieving further growth in their chosen field.
Sangeet Natak Akademi, the brainchild of Dr. Rajendra Prasad - the first President of India, was inaugurated in January 1953. The first National Academy for music, dance and drama in India, it has since been working towards the promotion of its rich cultural heritage, through propagation of dances, songs and plays. The Akademi works in coordination with the art institutions, art academies and cultural institutions of other states.
Cultural activities organized by the academy include National and Regional Festivals, Yuva Utsav and regular seminars and workshops. A number of teaching institutions have been established under the aegis of Sangeet Natak Akademi, like National School of Drama and Kathak Kendra in Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy in Imphal. The academy also honors the consummate personalities in the field of music, dance and dramas, by giving them awards.
