Kumudini Lakhia
Encyclopedia
Kumudini Lakhia is an India
n Kathak
dancer and choreographer based in Ahmedabad
, Gujarat, where she founded Kadamb School of Dance and Music, an institute of Indian dance and music in 1967.
A pioneer in contemporary Kathak dance, she is credited for moving away from the solo form of Kathak
starting in the 1960s, by turning it into a group spectacle, and also innovations like taking away traditional stories and adding contemporary storylines into Kathak repertoire.
as he toured the West, bringing Indian dance to the eyes of people abroad for the first time, and then became a dancer and choreographer in her own right. She learned first from various gurus of Jaipur gharana
, and then from Shambhu Maharaj
.
She is particularly known for her multi-person choreographies. Some of her most famous choreographies include Dhabkar (Pulse), Yugal (The Duet), and Atah Kim (Where Now?), which she performed at the annual Kathak Mahotsav in Delhi in 1980. Dance critic Sunil Kothari
later noted, "Those who witnessed the performance were taken aback by the sheer power of Kathak cast in an unusual mould. There was no Krishna, no Radha, no river banks of Jamuna, no bowers of Brindavan, no stealing of butter and no females looking seductively through the ghoonghat. And yet, for the purists, the classicists, there was no room for complaint...". In each of these, she presented the Kathak dance form in a way that had never been seen before, and which at the time had some purists up in arms. However, these choreographies are now considered classic, and many of the innovations she premiered in them have become so ingrained in Kathak performance that people are unaware that they were once just that: innovations. She was also a choreographer in the Hindi film, Umrao Jaan
(1981), along with Gopi Krishna
.
She is also guru to many disciples, perhaps most notably Kathak
dancers Aditi Mangaldas
, Vaishali Trivedi, Daksha Sheth, Prashant Shah, Sanjukta Sinha, Anjali Patil and Parul Shah who have gone on to international fame.
by the Government of India
in 1987 and the Padma Bhushan
in 2010, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
by Sangeet Natak Akademi
, India's National Academy Music, Dance and Drama in 1982, and Kalidas Samman
for the year 2002-03.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Kathak
Kathak
Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers...
dancer and choreographer based in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
, Gujarat, where she founded Kadamb School of Dance and Music, an institute of Indian dance and music in 1967.
A pioneer in contemporary Kathak dance, she is credited for moving away from the solo form of Kathak
Kathak
Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers...
starting in the 1960s, by turning it into a group spectacle, and also innovations like taking away traditional stories and adding contemporary storylines into Kathak repertoire.
Career
She began her career dancing with Ram GopalRam Gopal (dancer)
Bissano Ram Gopal OBE was an Indian dancer who performed and toured extensively throughout his lengthy career. The Polish critic Tadeus Zelinski called him "the Nijinsky of India"....
as he toured the West, bringing Indian dance to the eyes of people abroad for the first time, and then became a dancer and choreographer in her own right. She learned first from various gurus of Jaipur gharana
Gharana
In Hindustani music, a gharānā is a system of social organization linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and by adherence to a particular musical style. A gharana also indicates a comprehensive musicological ideology. This ideology sometimes changes substantially from one...
, and then from Shambhu Maharaj
Shambhu Maharaj
Pandit Shambhu Maharaj was a celebrated Guru of the Lucknow Gharana of the Indian classical dance form, Kathak. -Early life and training:...
.
She is particularly known for her multi-person choreographies. Some of her most famous choreographies include Dhabkar (Pulse), Yugal (The Duet), and Atah Kim (Where Now?), which she performed at the annual Kathak Mahotsav in Delhi in 1980. Dance critic Sunil Kothari
Sunil Kothari
Dr. Sunil Kothari is a noted Indian dance historian, scholar and critic. He is also former Uday Shankar Professor at Ravindra Bharti University, Kolkata....
later noted, "Those who witnessed the performance were taken aback by the sheer power of Kathak cast in an unusual mould. There was no Krishna, no Radha, no river banks of Jamuna, no bowers of Brindavan, no stealing of butter and no females looking seductively through the ghoonghat. And yet, for the purists, the classicists, there was no room for complaint...". In each of these, she presented the Kathak dance form in a way that had never been seen before, and which at the time had some purists up in arms. However, these choreographies are now considered classic, and many of the innovations she premiered in them have become so ingrained in Kathak performance that people are unaware that they were once just that: innovations. She was also a choreographer in the Hindi film, Umrao Jaan
Umrao Jaan
Umrao Jaan is a 1981 Bollywood film, directed by Muzaffar Ali. It is based on the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada , written by Mirza Hadi Ruswa based on the famous Lucknow courtesan...
(1981), along with Gopi Krishna
Gopi Krishna (dancer)
Gopi Krishna was an Indian dancer, actor and choreographer.- Life and career :Gopi Krishna was born into a family of Kathak dancers. His maternal grandfather Pandit Sukhdev Maharaj was a teacher of Kathak and his aunt Sitara Devi is a Kathak dancer who has performed around the world...
.
She is also guru to many disciples, perhaps most notably Kathak
Kathak
Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers...
dancers Aditi Mangaldas
Aditi Mangaldas
Aditi Mangaldas is a renowned Kathak danseuse and choreographer, who works with the traditional repertoire of Kathak, infusing it with a modern sensibility...
, Vaishali Trivedi, Daksha Sheth, Prashant Shah, Sanjukta Sinha, Anjali Patil and Parul Shah who have gone on to international fame.
Chreographies
- "Variation in Thumri" (1969)
- "Venu Nad" (1970)
- "Bhajan" (1985)
- "Hori" (1970)
- "Kolaahal" (1971)
- "Duvidha" (1971)
- "Dhabkar" (1973)
- "Atah Kim" (1982)
- "Okha Haran" (1990)
- "Hun-Nari" (1993)
- "Golden Chains" (for Neena Gupt, London)
- "Sam Samvedan" (1993)
- "Samanvay" (2003)
- "Bhav Krida" (1999)
- "Feathered Cloth – Hagoromo" (2006)
- "Mushti" (2005)
Awards and honors
Kumudini Lakhia was awarded the civilian honour of the Padma ShriPadma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in 1987 and the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 2010, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
by Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
, India's National Academy Music, Dance and Drama in 1982, and Kalidas Samman
Kalidas samman
The Kalidas Samman is a prestigious arts award presented annually by the government of Madhya Pradesh in India. The award is named after Kālidāsa, a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer of ancient India, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language.The Kalidas Samman...
for the year 2002-03.
Further reading
- Movement in Stills: The Dance And Life of Kumudini Lakhia (ISBN 81-88204-42-0) by Reena Shah
- Choreography in the Indian Context by Kumudini Lakhia, (Keynote address Feb 2002)
External links
- Kadamb website
- Kumudini Lakhia Interview nartaki.com