A community-driven platform (TheTaalTribe) is making Indian classical music and dance more accessible to today’s younger generation
Many young people these days turn to digital platforms for expression. For Riddhi Atre, a Kathak dancer with over 14 years of training, it was a natural progression to bridge a widening generational gap with the Indian classical performing art form. She says, “Our grandparents grew up with classical music and dance at the heart of their cultural lives, but for Gen Z, this art often feels distant and boring.”
Riddhi’s solution to fill this gap was The TaalTribe, a community-driven platform that makes Indian classical music and dance more accessible, engaging, and fun for younger audiences. “It was never about lack of interest,” says Riddhi. “It was about translation. Classical arts weren’t speaking our language. I wanted to change that.”
Building a Youth Movement Around Tradi-tion. Though officially registered only in the last two years, The TaalTribe has been Riddhi’s passion project for five years. Today, nearly 80% of its audience is under 25, an unusual demographic for the classical performing art forms. When asked how she balances honouring tradition with making it appealing to younger audiences, Riddhi says, “You don’t need to step into fusion just to make it exciting. Our generation is curious. As long as they’re taught in a welcoming and engaging way, they’re happy to learn more.”
From bite-sized concerts (20-minute sets) to interactive workshops like “Classical Unboxed” in schools and colleges, the format is designed with shorter attention spans in mind without diluting tradition. “We don’t do fusion for the sake of it. Instead, we redesign the experience: one vocal, one instrumental, one percussion, and one dance act in every show. It keeps things dynamic,” she explains.
The initiative has hosted community meetups named ‘Baithaks’, which are intimate gatherings of 15–20 people in homes, as well as larger concerts drawing 100–150 attendees. Each is curated to feel less like a lecture and more like an immersive cultural evening.
Content Currency
As with many Gen Z-led ventures, Instagram and Reels became The TaalTribe’s lifeline. What began as small, award-winning digital startup in her college club soon grew into a recognisable brand with a new logo, content strategy, and consistent visual identity. “Social media is how we reach young people,” Riddhi says, “We are Instagram-first. Everything included, such as events, artists, and community, is amplified through that medium.”
The platform’s work has attracted both audiences and major sponsors, including a leading bank. Riddhi and her six-member team of curators, artists, and content creators continue to self-fund while exploring grants for cultural preservation. Like most cultural ventures, TaalTribe walks the fine line between passion and realism, “Arts are emotion-centric,” says Riddhi, “You can’t run it with a purely transactional mindset. But yes, we do have costs, a team, and salaries. It’s not a non-profit.”
Nurturing New Artists
Beyond audiences, The TaalTribe has become a launchpad for emerging performers. Mridangam artist Ganesh Murali Iyer (24) is among them. Trained since age eight at Chembur Fine Arts and later under Padma Vibhushan Dr. Umayalpuram Shivaraman, Ganesh discovered TaalTribe through Instagram, “For the past two years, I’ve been performing at their events, and it’s given me both stage experience and visibility.”
Ganesh recently made headlines by being the only South Indian and Carnatic musician featured on eight tracks in Ed Sheeran’s album ‘Play’.
Challenges & Dreams
One of TaalTribe’s most compelling aspects is its refusal to treat classical arts as static. Instead, it sees them as living, breathing traditions that must evolve to remain relevant. Running a cultural startup is not without hurdles. Finding the right mid-sized venues, balancing tradition with experimentation, and securing funds are constant struggles. Yet Riddhi remains optimistic, “The industry has been welcoming,” she says, pointing to collaborations with established names like Manasi Deshpande, Eshani Sathe, Pooja Pant, Omkar Agnihotri, Tanay Rege, Swapnil Bhise, Ananya Govitrikar, and Ramakant Gaikwad.
Looking ahead, she envisions an art-tech platform to digitally support artists and institutes, a network of community meetups hosted in homes across cities, and large-scale lifestyle events blending food, fashion, and the classical arts, “We have already hosted two such gatherings at my home, but the vision is to open this up so that anyone associated with us can host a meetup at their own space.“
Classical Appeal
• Nearly 80% of The TaalTribe’s audience is under 25, an unusual demographic for the classical performing art forms.
• Ganesh is the only South Indian and Carnatic musician featured on eight tracks in Ed Sheeran’s album ‘Play’
