Shambhu Maharaj was a noted exponent of the bhava anga (emotive part), and, in the coming years, revived several classical thumris and bhajans and added them to Kathak repertoire.
He trained several students who subsequently made a name for themselves, including Kumudini Lakhia, Damayanti Joshi, Bharti Gupta, Gopi Krishna, Maya Rao and Sitara.
[7] The Kendra also became a venue for innovation in the form and presentation style of Kathak, merging formats from both the Lucknow and Jaipur gharana in the coming decades.
This was also the period of experimental works, which showed a progression away from the canonical motifs and themes of Kathak, like Radha Krishna, Chhed Chhad, Gat Bhav and Tode Tukde.
In 1980, when Keshav Kothari was the Director at the Kendra and also Secretary of Sangeet Natak Akademi,[8] a work title, Parikrama was choreographed by Birju Maharaj, in which Kathak was used to depict the natural rhythm that runs through all animate objects.