Puru Dadheech
{{short description|Indian Kathak dancer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox dancer
| honorific_prefix = Mahamahopadhyaya{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}
| name = Purushottam Dadheech
| image = Dr. Puru Dadheech before receiving Mahamahopadhyay Title.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| full_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1939|7|17}}
| birth_place = Ujjain
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Kathak Scholar, Dancer, Choreographer, Director - SSCARK, Ex-Professor Bhatkhande University, Ex-Dean Khairagarh University
Founder Natwari Kathak Nritya Academy, Indore
| years_active = 1954 - present
| current_group =
| former_groups =
| dances = Kathak
| website =
}}
Puru Dadheech (Purushottam Dadheech, 17 July 1939) is a Kathak dancer. He is a choreographer and educator of Indian classical dance, and is known for his pioneering work{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=December 2021}} in the field of Kathak. At the oldest Kathak department which was formed in 1956 at Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya Public University located in Khairagarh, Puru Dadheech instated the first Kathak syllabus in 1961.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iksv.ac.in/department-kathak-dance|title=Department of Kathak Dance | Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya|website=www.iksv.ac.in}} He is the holder of the first Doctorate in Kathak Classical Dance and emphasizes the relevance of Shastras (Indian Ancient Dance treatises like Natyashastra and Nandikeshvara's Abhinaya Darpana) in the Kathak repertoire.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dance/ncpa-mumbai-dance-season/article26598347.ece|title=Turning the spotlight on folk arts|first=Bhanu|last=Kumar|newspaper=The Hindu|date=21 March 2019|via=www.thehindu.com}} He was awarded Padma Shri, the 4th highest civilian award of India{{cite news|url= https://www.naidunia.com/madhya-pradesh/indore-padmashree-award-dr-purushottam-dadhich-of-indore-received-padma-shri-at-81-years-of-age-71-year-kathak-practice-succeeded-5288942|title= Padmashree Award : इंदौर के डॉ. पुरुषोत्तम दाधीच को उम्र के 81 वर्ष में मिली पद्मश्री सफल हुई 71 साल की कथक साधना|date= 26 January 2020}} He is currently{{when|date=June 2021}} serving as the Director of the world's first dedicated Kathak research Centre at the Sri Sri University, Cuttack called Sri Sri Centre for Advanced Research in Kathak.{{cite web |title=Sri Sri Centre for Advanced Research in Kathak (SSCARK) |date=9 November 2020 |url=https://srisriuniversity.edu.in/sri-sri-centre-for-advanced-research-in-kathak-sscark/ |publisher=sri sri university |access-date=19 December 2021}}
Education
Puru Dadheech studied under Guru-Shishya Parampara under Gurus Pt. Durga Prasad, Pt. Sunder Prasad as well as Pt. Narayan Prasad.{{Cite web|url=https://sahai.org/?page_id=11|title=Pandit Ram Sahai Sangit Vidyalaya» Acknowledgments|access-date=11 July 2019|archive-date=6 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206013804/http://sahai.org/?page_id=11|url-status=dead}}{{cite book|title=Kathak Syllabi |date=1997 |isbn=978-81-900056-7-8 |publisher=Bindu Prakashan}}
Dadheech is the first{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=December 2021}} Doctorate (D.Mus.) in Kathak in the world. Research dissertation Kathak Nritya ka Udbhav aur Vikas by Prayag Sangeet Samiti.{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAbMS6ynGJ8C&q=puru+kathak&pg=PA149 | title=Kathak, Indian Classical Dance Art| isbn=9788170172239| last1=Kothari| first1=Sunil| year=1989| publisher=Abhinav Publications}}
He is the first-ever{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=December 2021}} dancer to receive the Mahamahopadhyay{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} (Hon. D.Lit.) from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal.{{Cite web|url=https://www.classicalclaps.com/dr-dadheechs-workshop-on-rare-compositions-in-kathak/|title=Dr. Dadheech's workshop on rare compositions in Kathak|date=19 October 2018}}
Apart from the first{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=December 2021}} Sangeetacharya (D.Mus.) in Kathak, he also has a PhD in Sanskrit Dramatics from Vikram University, Ujjain. His PHD was on the topic Sanskrit Prayog Vigyan Evam Kalidasiya Rupak which has been published as a book.
He has also received the Tagore National Fellowship by the Ministry of Culture.{{Cite web|url=https://epaper.naidunia.com/mepaper/01-sep-2020-74-indore-edition-indore-page-7.html|title=NaiDunia Epaper: Daily MP Newspaper and Chhattisgarh News Paper Online}}
Personal life
Puru Dadheech was born to a traditional Pauranik brahmin family of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. He is married to kathak guru and researcher Dr. Vibha Dadheech. He has 2 sons and a daughter.
Career
Dadheech had served as Professor and Head of the Dance Department at Bhatkhande University, Lucknow, and as Dean, Faculty of Arts, at Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwa Vidyalaya, Khairagarh, teaching and guiding several research scholars for their doctoral thesis.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestatesman.com/supplements/celebrating-a-guru-1502782187.html|title=Celebrating a Guru|first=Manjari|last=Sinha|date=26 July 2019|website=The Statesman}}
Dadheech was close to Senior Kathak exponent and Guru Pt. Mohanrao Kallianpurkar and succeeded him at Bhatkhande Music Institute Deemed University.{{Cite web|url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/gtsk/gtsk83.html|title=The Sunil Kothari Column - Centenary celebrations of Kathak guru Mohanrao Kallianpurkar (1913-2013) - Dr. Sunil Kothari|website=www.narthaki.com}}
Dadheech has been an editor for Swarn Jayanti Smarika Golden Jubilee Magazine of Bhatkhande Hindustani Sangeet Mahavidyala.{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L1s1DwAAQBAJ&q=puru+dadheech&pg=PA181 |title = Lineage of Loss: Counternarratives of North Indian Music|isbn = 9780819577603|last1 = Katz|first1 = Max|date = 2017-11-07| publisher=Wesleyan University Press }}
He participated in many seminars and delivered talks on subjects such as "Kalidasa and Natya Sashtra" at Birla Academy, Kolkata.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestatesman.com/features/regaling-traditional-beauty-1502607186.html|title=Regaling with traditional beauty|website=The Statesman|date=24 March 2018}}
Puru Dadheech has developed the first-ever Kathak syllabus books which are instated in the Kathak department of various universities.http://www.hpuniv.ac.in/upload/syllabus/5b86406dceeadPerformingArts.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}
He has been on various editorial committees such as National Conference- "Innovation in Music And Dance"(23-24, Jan 2015) organized at Dept. Music And Dance, Govt. Maharani Laxmibai Girls P.G. college, Indore.{{Cite web|url=http://granthaalayah.com/Conference_Innovation_in_Music.html|title=Innovation In Music and Dance - Conference Performing Art|website=granthaalayah.com}}
Dadheech has been a mentor and guide to several students doing Masters and Doctorate degrees in Kathak since 1961.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sangeetgalaxy.co.in/detail.php?unid=17|title=Sangeet Galaxy|website=www.sangeetgalaxy.co.in|access-date=11 July 2019|archive-date=13 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113195845/http://www.sangeetgalaxy.co.in/detail.php?unid=17|url-status=dead}}
Awards
- Padma Shri 2020https://padmaawards.gov.in/PDFS/2020AwardeesList.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2018
- Kalidas Samman 2021
- Maha Mahopadhyay from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal
- Madhya Pradesh Govt, M.P., Shikhar Samman Award 2004{{cite book |title=Nritya Nibandh |trans-title=Dance Essays |date=2009 |language= hi|location=Indore |publisher=Bindu Prakashan |isbn=978-81-901057-6-7}}
- Sangeet Natak Academy, U.P., Academy Award 1984
Books
Dr. Dadheech has written many scholarly books which are also assigned as syllabus textbooks at Kathak departments of Universities. Some titles are:
- Kathak Nritya Shiksha Part 1 {{ISBN|978-81-931439-8-8}}
- Kathak Nritya Shiksha Part 2 {{ISBN|978-81-931439-5-7}}
- Kathak Dance Syllabi {{ISBN|978-81-931439-3-3}}
- Abhinaya Darpan {{ISBN|978-81-931439-7-1}}
- Sanskrit Prayog Vigyan Evam Kalidasiya Rupak {{ISBN|81-900056-3-4}}
- Nrittasutram {{ISBN|81-900056-4-2}}
- Natyashastra ka Sangeet Vivechan {{ISBN|81-900056-6-9}}
- Ashtottar Shattaal Lakshanam {{ISBN|81-901057-0-1}}
- Bharatnatyam Shiksha {{ISBN|978-81-931439-6-4}}
- Pashchyat Nrityakala {{ISBN|81-901057-5-2}}
Rare Compositions
Dr. Puru Dadheech is the only Kathak artist in India{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=August 2022}} to have specially written and composed the Naayak Bheda – different types of heroes as well as conducting a workshop on rare compositions like 'Dashavatar' and 'Dhrupad' in 'Bhrama taal' (28 beats).{{Cite web |url=http://www.afternoondc.in/culture/sunil-performs-the-naayak-in-kathak/article_235028 |title=Sunil performs 'the Naayak' in Kathak |access-date=11 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711061813/http://www.afternoondc.in/culture/sunil-performs-the-naayak-in-kathak/article_235028 |archive-date=11 July 2019 |url-status=dead }}
Re-instating Dhrupad in Kathak
Dadheech is India's first Kathak dancer{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=August 2022}} to bring back Dhrupad to the formal Kathak stage and this composition in 28 matra. Shankar Pralayankar, his Dhrupad composition, has the unique status of regularly being sung in concerts by 'Dhrupad' maestros the Gundecha Brothers.
For the first time{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=August 2022}} in 1981, Dr. Dadheech choreographed and danced the ancient Nritya style of Dhrupad that he performed in Mathura. He has researched and written an article titled Dhrupad Nartan Ki Parampara.
In 2013 ITC Sangeet Research Academy has conducted Dhrupad Seminar in association with National Centre for the Performing Arts (India) (NCPA, Mumbai) where Dr. Puru Dadheech participated as speaker to discuss Origin of Dhrupad (Predecessors of Dhrupad) evolving into different Banis and PROPAGATION OF DHRUPAD - During the reign of Mansingh Tomar and others.https://www.itcsra.org/pdf/sra2013programme_1.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}} Dr. Puru Dadheech, discussed the origin of Dhrupad at length and established that Dhrupads are older than the times of Raja Mansingh Tomar.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sruti.com/index.php?route=archives/article_details&artId=29|title=Winds of change|website=www.sruti.com}}
80th birthday celebrations
Dadheech's 80th birthday celebrations on 17 July 2019 started with a National Seminar on the topic ‘Contributions of Dr Puru Dadheech in the field of Dance, Literature and Shastras at Indore city. The chairperson for this seminar was Padma Shri Shovana Narayan. The Gundecha Brothers paid a tribute by singing three Dhrupad written by Puru Dadheech.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dadheech, Puru}}
Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award