Kathak Guru Vidushi Smt. Geetanjali Lal

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Vidushi Smt. Geetanjali Lal

Foremost among the leading kathak exponents geetanjali lal has carved a special niche in the world of dance.Trained by the great stalwaets like roshan kumari, gopi krishana, mohan rao kalayanpurker and her husband shri devi lal, geetanjali lal is also a gifted musician trained by her father sh.rajnikant desai of agra gharana from childhood.

Performing  from the last  four decades in all the major national and international dance festivals, geetanjali has received encomiums for her brilliant solo exposition of jaipur gharana and her own group chorepgraphic works for which she has scored the music.she is known for her imaginative choreography of “kaun banega crorepati”, “indradhanush”, “meghdoot”, “the spirit”, “avroha”, “saheli”, dhrupad vasanti leela, dance drama rabindranath tagore’s “chitrangada” etc.Blessed with an impressive stage presence her performances bring to life the beauty of the mughal and rajput paintings.add to it her lyrical renderings of impressional numbers and her performance generates high aesthetic visuals, which linger long in memory. Based in delhi, she worked as a senior guru with the national institute of kathak where she trained number of students among which vidha lal and abhimanyu have made a mark in the field of kathak.she was also the director of kathak kendra, the national institute of kathak dance, new delhi.

She held the post of chief of repertory kathak kendra from 2009-2012. She is a top grade artist of doordarshan and (i.c.c.r) indian councile for culture relations, new delhi.She has been coundcting kathak workshops and lec-dem in various universties and cultural instiututions in india and abroad. Geetanjali lal has been awarded the Prestigious sangeet natak akademi award in the year 2007.She has been awarded the title of “nritya sharada”, natya kala shree”, “bharat gaurav”, “kala shiromani” and “kalpana chawala award, , jijabai women achivers award, acharya kala vipanchee and many more for excellence, by various cultural organisations, for her contribution in the field of kathak dance.Apart from dancing she is also an actress, having acted in a kashmiri feature film “shayar-e-kashmir mehjoor” in a lead role and won the j & k best actress award during her college days.

She has choreographed many kathak dance ballets and short numbers like.

1. Dance ballet “chitrangada” , “chandalika”, riturang by rabindranath tagore

2. Meghdoot dance ballet written by kavi kali das.

3. Short numbers: raks-e-bismil, varsha mangal, avaroh, jaidev, dhurapad vasanti leela,   udaan, indradhanush. She has also choreographed the works of sur das, kabir, raskhan, vidyapati, meera etc. On various occasions, andaaz.

4. Choreographed and musically composed various tarana’s in various taal and raaga.

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Profile of Monisa Ji Nayak-Kathak Dancer

Monisa is an accomplished Kathak performer of the Jaipur Gharana who has dedicated herself to perfecting her art form. Her excellent command of rhythm, as well as her natural flair for profound expression, mark her performances and are critically acclaimed by connoisseurs.

A disciple of Pandit Rajendra Gangani, and a Post graduate from the national institute – the Kathak Kendra, New Delhi  and an A- Grade artiste of Delhi Doordarshan, Monisa is an empanelled artiste of the ICCR, Govt. of India. She has performed widely in major festivals within and outside the country. In recognition of her prodigious talent, versatility and dedication to the art form, she has been awarded the Sanatana Nritya Puraskar. Presently Monisa is teaching at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya,New Delhi.Kathak is said to have originated in the temples of North India before finding its way into the royal courts of Awadh and Jaipur. Known as the dance of story tellers, Kathak comes from the word Kathakaar – the village minstrel who used subtle gestures and movements to enhance the dramatic element of the narrative. The narrative was most often from mythological legends.During the Mughal period, artistes served in courts for royal entertainment. It is during this time that the dazzling court Kathak, with its exotic costumes, Persian influence and intricate footwork, developed and flourished.

This graceful and spontaneous dance form reveals the poetry, mythology and spiritual ethos of its roots and also, importantly, India’s rich Hindu-Muslim heritage. It is, of all the classical dance styles of the country, pre-eminently the one which renders tala, or the rhythmic aspect, as a central focus in its repertoire.

·  'A' Graded Kathak Artiste at Doordarshan Kendra, New Delhi.Awarded Sanatana Nritya Puraskar from Sanskriti Pratishthan for versatility and dedication to the art form.Empanelled by the ICCR in their Reference Panel of Artistes.Received Sanskriti-Kalakriti Fellowship for the year 2006-2007 for research in the field of Kathak Choreography.

·  Bestowed with the title 'Sangeet Kala Ratna' at the Guru Poornima Mahotsava.

National Talent Search Scholarship in Kathak by CCRT, Govt of India.

·  Presented Kathak choreography “Nartan" in Ananya Festival, depicting the historical development of Kathak (against the backdrop of the Purana Qila, New Delhi).Choreographed group-production “Raga-chitra”  depicting the moods of various ragas, for 11th National Choreography Festival, Impresario.Blending the aesthetics of tradition with modern fusion music, she has created a choreography "SPECTRUM" relating colours to sentiments.Choreographed dance choreography on the theme of 'KABIR' at Lucknow Mahotsava.

·  She conducted Kathak dance workshop at Kota, Rajasthan sponsored by SPIC-MACAY for spreading her Art form and to create awareness among children towards classical heritage.Monisa has rendered some of the poems of Rabindranath Tagore under the direction of Smt. Madhavi Mudgal as a solo and duet (with Odissi) for the Tagore Festival, India International Centre, New Delhi.As part of a mission to promote Classical Art in rural areas, she presented Lec-Dems in Gondia and Panna district for enriching tribal youth.

·  She has also combined her dance experimentally with other art forms like fashion design, retaining, all through, its classical vocabulary. To depict the moods of rain created a fusion of traditional Kathak with fashion show executed by designers Ashima-Leena.

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