Uma Dogra

Grace, discipline, and an unwavering devotion to tradition define the artistic journey of Uma Dogra—one of India’s most revered torchbearers of Kathak. A senior disciple of the legendary Durga Lal of the Jaipur Gharana, she embodies a rare blend of technical brilliance and emotive depth that has captivated audiences across the world for over five decades.

Honoured with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Uma Dogra’s contribution extends far beyond performance. As a visionary guru, choreographer, and cultural ambassador, she has tirelessly worked towards preserving and propagating India’s classical heritage. Through her institution, the Samved Society for Performing Arts, she has nurtured generations of dancers and created meaningful platforms for emerging talent.

In an era of rapid change, Uma Dogra stands as a symbol of continuity—where tradition breathes, evolves, and inspires. Her art is not merely performance; it is a profound expression of culture, philosophy, and a lifelong sadhana dedicated to the soul of Kathak.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Her immense contribution as a dancer, choreographer and teacher has earned her numerous accolades:

• Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar by the Government of India

• Maharashtra Gaurav Samman (2015)

• Maharashtra Sanskriti Rajkiye Puraskar (2009)

• Honorary Membership of Min-On Concert Association (2008)

• Honorary Doctorate in Arts from ITM University Raipur (2015)

• Former Chairperson, Advisory Committee of the National Kathak Kendra and Executive Board Member of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi

In frame Smt. Uma Dogra | PC: Smt. Uma Dogra

As one of the top danseuses who has curated cultural festivals for more than three decades for both young and established artistes, Pt. Durgalal Festival and Raindrops Festival you proved your commitment to your creative skill and its intention. What is the spark that makes you so distinctive from your contemporaries?

I am not sure I can answer this question from a second or third persons point of view. But I definitely know that I had in me and still have in me a fire burning. My journey rolled out only because I felt deep pain at the untimely loss of my Guru ji. He was and in my opinion is, a beacon for Kathak, even after his passing. His demise was a jolt for everyone but for me it was a personal loss beyond explanation where no one could step into the place he had created. Public memory can be short lived, I knew that well enough. I couldn’t stand the thought of future generations not knowing the persona who illuminated the world of Kathak by his sheer brilliance. This was my only driving force. It continues to be so now and will continue to be so. Twenty five years ago I encountered Nichiren Buddhism, a beautiful philosophy which talks about world peace being in our hands, achievable through the ripple effect of peace, and respect for human dignity pervading the world, starting from the self. We are all interconnected. And the only way forward is to take the ones in our environment two steps ahead with us. I have always believed in this, and after I started practicing Buddhism, my heart has become deeper, more compassionate. My mentor Daisaku Ikeda, a Japanese philosopher and peace activist, has stressed on culture being the axil to propel people towards peace. I had started the Raindrops festival for young dancers with the sole vision to benefit young artists in their journey ahead. After encountering this spiritual path I am on, I know that I am a Bodhisatva of the earth, whose life is meant to be dedicated to creating a better world within the existing chaos. This understanding of my mission as an artist, a teacher, performer certainly sets me apart from others.

Residing in a glittering city like Mumbai, did you ever have to incorporate tradition with glamour or use your signature techniques to attract and capture the attention of your students and audiences?

No. I am quite a straightforward person. I don’t resort to the ways that don’t resonate with me. My schooling has been such. I know the power of the taleem I have received. I have striven to transmit the same to my disciples in the same unadulterated way. Fortunately, with Guru Ji’s blessings, my students and the rasikas who have been following Sam Ved’s journey, understand me for what I stand. Having said this, I must also tell you that I am extremely enticed by Hindi films. Both films and classical art forms are distinctive. They have a lot to contribute to each other. There is no comparison, yet a beautiful exchange ensues. I have grown up in the romantic era of Bollywood. Right from acting, to light design and cinematography, to the poetic nuances… every aspect has inspired me. I look at films and learn about story telling, about abhinaya in a very interesting form. My husband is a director my father was a poet a musician. I am myself an ardent appreciator of literature. I deeply admire the strength of films as an art form but no the glitter does not blind me in the undesirable way.

As a senior artiste, art curator and dance exponent, what behaviours or intentions you think is ruining a healthy art atmosphere, especially by the ones holding reputed positions/responsibilites?

Let me tell you about a few beautiful moments I have heard of from my Guru ji and senior artists… In the time before theirs, communication was very challenging. Similarly travel was difficult too. The means of communication used to be through letters, much later telegram and eventually telephone communication came in. People travelled by bullock carts to begin with, trains came in later. Point being here that, it was not an easy procedure. Yet people who loved the classical art forms, painstakingly communicated with artists, offering them a respectable “maandhan” (fee), they treated them with great respect and hosted an artist for their sheer talent. Amidst the complexity of communication things were simple and respectful. There used to be very healthy competition amongst artists at that time. They respected each other and tried to better themselves when faced with challenges in the artistic field. In fact I have had this trajectory in my career too. If I saw that my Guru bhai Harish was better than me, my focus was not on a negative tangent. My focus would be to better myself in those aspects and match up to him. This thrill was entirely different and pure. I have fondly heard from my father stories about how Pt. Ravi Shankar ji was asked to perform Raag Darbari in a certain mehfil. He humbly and truthfully refused and said that, please listen to this Raag from Vilayat Khan Sahab. His rendition of the Darbari Raag is unmatched. Such was the respect and connect each artist, each connoisseur had with each other. The artists who came to be known during those times went on to be recipients of the coveted Padma awards. They ruled the art scenario in the post independence era. Unfortunately this purity began corroding when art started to blend in with politics. The structure politics tried to create in the artistic field was a positive step ahead, but unfortunately the essence of art has suffered.

Today artists are concerned about the mention of important art festivals they can make in their resumes. About the various awards they can garner. This is not a negative, but let’s not forget why art came into existence. Many artists who are not familiar with paper work processes etc, fall wayward. They get discouraged when they don’t get the desired platforms that they should be getting. It’s a catch 22 situation. Some are focused on the process of getting their names recognised, leaving behind their Riyaz. Some feel totally dejected having meticulously dedicated their years and years in Sadhana but getting nowhere. There is no doubt that this political platform can be very effective instead because bureaucracy doesn’t always allow quality time to the officers to seep into the world of art, an effective rapport between the two sides has still not come into play. I pray that we have in our system sensitive people who can understand that art has tremendous power to create peace and change. For this, looking out for sincere talents is necessary. The one in position of power has to be able to create an atmosphere where each artist, established or upcoming, can feel safe and welcome to articulate themselves. We need the right, responsible, sensitive, culturally aware office bearers to make this system work. I wish we make this happen. Because as I said, art is an extremely important asset. It is an invaluable powerful medium which should be unleashed to its fullest potential for everyone’s benefit.

How you envision talented artistes's growth who are practising Indian traditional arts? Any gaps they need to be cautious upon?

Being a Buddhist and disciple of my mentor Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, I would like to share with you what he has stressed time and again about Creating capable youth. And that, Youth Are the Hope of Society! I completely resonate with this and see how our Guru shishya parampara is meant to do this. A parampara can only stay alive when we have capable shahgirds’s. As Guru’s it is our duty to impart the wisdom and power of our parampara in the truest essence. Parampara doesn’t imply stagnation. Parampara means the passing on of tradition in the most fluid manner. When a disciple is well anchored in the roots, the innovations being made will stay true to the history of tradition, yet cater to the times now. Being stuck in the past without giving it a natural continuity, announces doom. Our Guru’s nurtured the ancient wisdom. On reflecting deeply I see that our generation of artists stayed purists. We were true to our values holding tight the reins handed to us. Those are the same values we have to responsibly and intelligently inject into the youth. This is entirely our responsibility. In the last 20 years, there has been a huge change in the way presentations have been carved out. I am extremely proud of these innovations.

I sincerely applaud and appreciate the intelligent expressions by the new generation of dancers. They are making efforts to keep tradition alive with a new language suiting the times we face. The ethos burns brighter now. This is the victory of each guru who has passed on the unsaid and been true to the origins. This trend was not known in my time. I have seen this in the field of Literature and poetry where writers were sensitive to incorporate the truth of the times in their contemporary work and conveyed the truth in the most effective way. I feel so proud that today’s youth is ploughing this field, harvesting knowledgeably from the seeds sown. As a Buddhist I have learnt about 3 kinds of gratitude we have to inculcate in our lives. I certainly want to share this with every artist because I know it has helped me grow immensely. And I am sure it will help others on their path too. One-gratitude to our parents, who have gone through the many challenges and made efforts to make this journey possible for us. They went out of their way and nurtured the special talent we were blessed with. It mustn’t have been easy for them. Second-gratitude to our Guru/teacher, who showed us the mirror of our capabilities. They worked hard to bring our uniqueness to fore and to impart the lessons in their fullest capacity. We owe a big part of gratitude to their dedication. One must be true to our Guru. Of course we learn from our senior teachers, but “my Guru is my Guru”, and I have to uphold him/her with great respect. I remember well, my Guru ji would always encourage us to go and watch other Guru’s performances/ lectures, but for us Guru ji was the one. Just as Kabir says,” Guru Gobind dau khade, kake lagun paye? Balihari guru apne, Gobind diyo dikhaye.” And the third set of gratitude is towards the land we reside in. The place where we are living and flourish in. It could be my birth land or the land I am in at the moment. The place has given us the opportunity to adorn ourselves in the present. In a nutshell, I am really proud of our coming generation of artists and wish them all the best in their journey.