It was not very long ago that a strong flame of the Kathak Gharana ceased to burn. A revered Guru, a stalwart in his own given space, Pt. Durgalalji created waves in the field of Art. With a gusto he came into the world, and when he exited its premise, he left behind a legacy of visuals, a legacy of magic that kept his viewers mesmerised till much after his demise. Till today, the audiences who have seen the late veteran perform, are in awe of what they had experienced years ago.

My stint with the art form as a teacher started after I left Delhi and settled down in Bombay. It was my sole connection, which kept my artistic spirit within throbbing.
But as is usual, any artiste would rather 'perform' than to step into the shoes of a "guru". My dialogue with little enthusiastic students continued but my destination was not that - so I thought.

Sudden happenings make room for new perspectives and dimensions. Guru ji's untimely death made the realization sink in that my Guru journeyed a course in order to make the language decipherable to searching interpreters. It was my duty to share with the future generations the magic of his teachings. Thus emerged Uma Dogra - the teacher to the great
maestro whose immense contribution to the field of dance cannot be merely enumerated through words.



Today after a period of almost fifteen years I have a dedicated assortment of students. Each one is as loving and eager to learn as we were at our times. Memories come back and a different role I play on. Today my school stands on a platform from where many beautiful talents have stepped on the
stage. They continue to learn but over the years they have stepped up each level of performance.



You can contact me at the following address:
Uma Dogra's School of Kathak Dance
H-3/2 Jal Padma
Bangur Nagar,
Goregaon (W),
Mumbai - 400 090
Ph.: +91 (022) 2636 8707
Telefax: +91 (022) 2877 9554
Email: umadogra@samvedsociety.com / umadogra_kathak@hotmail.com

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