Uma Dogra
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Uma Dogra
| image = Uma Dogra.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|04|23|df=yes}}
| birth_place = New Delhi, India
| death_date =
| origin =
| genre = Indian Classical Dance
| occupation = Kathak Dancer, Teacher, Choreographer, Promoter, Organizer
| years_active = 1972
| label =
| associated_acts = Durga Lal, Raghavan Nair, Amjad Ali Khan, Hema Malini, Asha Parikh, Saroja Vidyanathan, Ranjana Gauhar, Daksha Mashruwal, Vaibhav Arekar
| website = [http://umadogra.com/ umadogra.com]
}}
Uma Dogra (born 23 April 1957)
is an Indian exponent of Kathak,{{cite news|last1=Sridharan|first1=Divya|title=A Katha on Kathak|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/a-katha-on-kathak/article647891.ece|work=The Hindu|date=28 May 2009|language=en-IN}} an Indian Classical Dance form. She is the senior most disciple of Pt. Durga Lal,{{cite news|title=Remembering the Legend |website=The Times of India|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bombay-times/Remembering-the-Legend/articleshow/1080507156.cms|date=8 February 2008|language=en-IN}} the Kathak Maestro from Jaipur Gharana. She is a Kathak soloist, a choreographer and a teacher.
{{cite news|last1=Modi|first1=Chintan Girish|title=Remembering a maestro|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/remembering-a-maestro/article8317656.ece|work=The Hindu|date=5 March 2016|language=en-IN}} She has been performing in India and abroad for more than 40 years.
Early life
She was born to Motiram and Shakuntala Sharma in Malviya Nagar in New Delhi. Uma began to dance at the age of 7 {{Citation needed|date=February 2024}} . She initially trained under Guru Bansilal and then Reba Vidyarthi at Kathak Kendra National Institute of Kathak Dance New Delhi. Later she joined Jaipur Gharana, Pt. Durga Lal.{{cite news|title=Repose in rhythm|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/dance/repose-in-rhythm/article1327302.ece|work=The Hindu|date=11 February 2011|language=en-IN}} She was trained in Hindustani Classical Vocal under her father Pt. Motiram Sharma who was a sitar player and a disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar.
Career
Uma Dogra is a ganda bandh shagird of Pt. Durga Lal.{{cite news|last1=Kothari|first1=Sunil|title=Young, able and willing|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/dance/raindrops-festival-of-indian-classical-dance/article7508411.ece|work=The Hindu|date=6 August 2015|language=en-IN}} She learned Kathak under Reba Vidyarthi and Pt. Birju Maharaj from 1969 to 1972. From 1972 to 1984 she learned Kathak under guru Pt. Durga Lal and danced in productions SBKK, Ramleela, Surdaas, Shah-ne-Mughal. She moved to Bombay in 1984 and worked with Hema Malini in Nritya Bharati, Nupur serial and Ballet Meera. She worked with Asha Parekh in serial Jhankaar.
Uma Dogra established the Sam Ved Society for Performing Arts in 1990 to promote Indian performing arts. Under its banner, for the last 25 years{{cite news|last1=Kothari|first1=Sunil|title=In memory of a dance guru|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/in-memory-of-a-dance-guru/article7738974.ece|work=The Hindu|date=8 October 2015|language=en-IN}}{{cite news|last1=Ghosh|first1=Tanushree|title=A dance tribute|url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/p7OzAYadNE1wgnod7lxaUL/A-dance-tribute.html|publisher=Mint (newspaper)|date=6 February 2014}} she has been organizing two festivals in Mumbai's cultural calendar. The first one, the Pt. Durga Lal Festival, takes place in the first half of the year. It has seen the who's who from the field of music, dance and theater perform. In the year 2020, the Festival completed 30 years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.classicalclaps.com/prominent-dancers-perform-at-the-30th-pandit-durgalal-festival/|title=Prominent dancers perform at the 30th Pandit Durgalal Festival|date=31 March 2020}} The second, the Raindrops Festival of Indian Classical Dance is held in July with the aim to give a platform to the upcoming soloists. She has participated in many other festivals such as Khajuraho Dance Festival, Margazhi festival.{{cite web|last1=Subramanian|first1=Mahalakshmi|title=Dancers like Uma Dogra and Vaibhav Arekar, drew an overwhelming crowd|url=http://dnasyndication.com/showarticlerss.aspx?nid=O3dPulsIHTqlwJYreYPEfBgblGl3MQF/73GzIQ2XTGSwNSOs=|website=DNA|access-date=31 December 2013}} She conducts classes in Kathak at the Uma Dogra School of Kathak in Mumbai. She has trained several students, including Kathak soloist{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dance/joining-the-dots-with-dance/article23515544.ece|title = Joining the dots with dance|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 12 April 2018|last1 = Dave|first1 = Ranjana}} Tina Tambe,{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-opening-minds-to-classical-arts-1256975|title=Opening minds to classical arts|date=19 May 2009}} Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor,{{cite news|title=The restless actor|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/entertainment/in-conversation-with-shabana-azmi/article8256363.ece|work=The Hindu|date=19 February 2016|language=en-IN}} and television actress Rachana Parulkar.
{{blockquote|When the dancers goes on stage, they are not portraying Hinduism or Islam, this thing or that thing. It's an expression of your own life, your own thinking and your own wisdom.{{cite web|last1=Yang|first1=Melissah|title=Kathak Dance Puts Hinduism And Islam in the Same Circle|url=http://www.neontommy.com/news/2014/06/kathak-dance-puts-hinduism-and-islam-same-circle|website=neontommy.com}}|Uma Dogra}}
She has won several local, regional and national awards, including Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2014.{{cite web|last1=Sarkar|first1=Gaurav|title=Danseuse Uma Dogra to get National Award for Kathak|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/locality/mumbai-north-west/danseuse-uma-dogra-get-national-award-kathak-62333|website=dna|access-date=12 June 2015|language=en-US|date=12 June 2015}}{{cite news|title=Prez Confers Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-3844820041.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911203935/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-3844820041.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 September 2016|date=23 October 2015}}{{cite news|title=Sangeet Natak Akademi delegation meets PM Modi|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/sangeet-natak-akademi-delegation-meets-pm-modi/story-gx6488zlZ2eG63BTVxYU1N.html|agency=HT|date=24 October 2015}}
On 18 May 2016, Uma performed with Indian Folk exponent Geetanjali Sharma{{cite web|last1=Denishua|first1=HPA|title=School of Kathak {{!}} Uma Dogra|url=http://www.umadogra.com/cms/?page_id=24|website=umadogra.com}} in a monthlong cultural festival Ujjain Simhastha.{{cite news|last1=Sinha|first1=Manjari|title=Joy sheer joy…|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/joy-sheer-joy/article8650838.ece|work=The Hindu|date=26 May 2016|language=en-IN}}
Personal life
Uma Dogra is married to National Award-winning Director28th National Film Awards{{Circular reference|date=May 2021}} Chitrartha Singh. They have one daughter, Suhani Singh writer & journalist in India Today and a son Manas Singh an actor. Uma is settled in Mumbai, where she had a dispute with the society for alleged illegal use of her house for commercial purpose without society's permission. "The neighbours are disturbed because of the noise and have given us written complaints," said the society chairman.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-kathak-dancer-takes-on-goregaon-society-over-feeding-stray-dogs/20612182|title=Mumbai: Kathak dancer takes on Goregaon society over feeding stray dogs|date=24 March 2019|website=mid-day}}
Books
She has written a book "In Praise of Kathak" about her journey as a dancer and the techniques of Kathak.{{cite web|last1=Denishua|first1=HPA|title=Book {{!}} Uma Dogra|url=http://www.umadogra.com/cms/?page_id=1169|website=umadogra.com}} This book was released by Member of Parliament Hema Malini on 30 January 2015 at Samved's Rajat Jayanti Mahotsav.{{cite web|title=Book Review – In praise of Kathak – Shyamhari Chakra|url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/bookrev/bkrev16.html|website=narthaki.com|publisher=Samved Society}}
Discography
Nirvana Through Dance – A film which was produced to celebrate the life and achievements of Uma's Guru Pt. Durga Lal.{{cite news|title=Moving Stories – Indian Express|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/moving-stories/941700/0|work=archive.indianexpress.com|date=26 April 2012}}
School of Kathak
Uma Dogra's School of Kathak is run by Uma Dogra in Mumbai. Its activities include classroom teaching, workshops, master classes, performances, seminars and festivals.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.umadogra.com/ Official Website]
- [http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/awardeeslist.htm/ List of Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee]
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Category:Indian female classical dancers
Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Category:Women artists from Delhi