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Mahamahopadhyay Dr Puru Dadheech

  Guru Dr. Puru Dadheech 
|Dancer|Teacher|Poet|Choreographer|Scholar|Author|

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Dr. Puru Dadheech, who has been awarded the fourth highest civilian award of India the Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2018 for his 'Overall Contribution to the field of Dance  and Music' and the 'Kalidas Samman 2021' is not only a proficient Kathak dancer and choreographer but also an erudite scholar of Natya and Nritya Shashtra, thus having equal command over both the theory and practical aspects of dance. Dr Puru Dadheech is considered as the father of the education system of Kathak Dance. He has also been awarded with the prestigious Tagore National Fellowship by the Ministry of Culture under its nodal agency Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi for his research topic ''Madhya Kaleen granton mein varnit deshi Nritya prakaron aur nritya tatvaon ka vishleshatmak adhyayan - Kathak Nritya ke sandarbh mein". Dr Puru Dadheech is also serving as the Director of

India's first dedicated research center for Kathak research, The Sri Sri center of Advanced research in Kathak under Sri Sri University, Cuttak emphasising on shastrik traditions and researchs in Kathak.

 

Dr Puru Dadheech is also serving as the Director ofIndia’s first dedicated research center for Kathak research, The Sri Sri center of Advanced research in Kathak under Sri Sri University, Cuttak emphasising on shastriktraditions and researchs in Kathak.

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Nurtured by great maestros like Pt.Durgaprasadji, Pt. Narayan Prasadji, Pt. Sunder Prasad ji, and Pt Shambhu Maharaj ji, Dr Dadheech, is the world's first Kathak "Sangeetacharya" (then D.Mus) degree for his thesis, " Kathak Nritya ka Udbhava aur Vikas". He also holds a Ph.D degree on his exhaustive research on Kalidasa -"Sanskrit Prayog Vigyan  aur Kalidasi ya Rupak ". Being the first true scholar in the Kathak fraternity

Dr Puru Dadheech also has huge significant contribution in the field of kathak dance by creating the first ever course syllabus for all the  universities in Madhya Pradesh, while also establishing dance departments of universities of Indore, Ujjain, etc and also writing the first ever Kathak Dance syllabus books in the world called Kathak Nritya Shiksha (Volumes I and II), followed by many others. He also has immensely contributed by writing first Hindi course book for Bharatnatyam, hence allowing students of Hindi speaking states to better understand the form. In the state of Madhya Pradesh, he was the first  to introduce training in Kathak Dance at Govt. Madhav Sangeet Mahavidyala, U.ijain, in 1961 and made sincere efforts to establish Kathak Dance as a subject in all the universities of Madhya Pradesh.

 

In 1974, he  joined,  Bhatkhande  Hindustani Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Lucknow as Assistant Professor and in 1975, he was promoted as Professor and Head of the Dance Department. He served there for 15 years during the course of which he was instrumental in developing the library of the institution. Apart from his involved teaching at the institute, he also edited landmark magazines in Kathak-Golden and Diamond Jubilee Souvenir's and Dhruva- the research magazine. In 2001, he was appointed as Dean of the faculty of dance at Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh. He also provided his expert consulting services in setting up courses and curriculum to many other Universities. 11 dance scholars have obtained their Ph.D degrees under Dr. Puru Dadheech's guidance.

Dr. Puru Dadheech has received many prestigious awards for his outstanding
contribution in the field of KathakDance. A few of these are

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  • Honored by then president Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma at President house in May
    1993;

  • Academy Award and Copper plate by Sangeet Natak Academy, UP in 1984;

  • Shikhar Samman by MP Govt in 2007;

  • Senior Fellowship by Ministry of culture, Government of India.

  • Recently he has become the first Dancer in history to be awarded title          of “Maha Mahopadhyaya”(Hon.D.Lit) by A.B. Gandharva Maha Vidyalaya Mandal,Mumbai.

  • He has also been awarded the SwarSadhana Ratna Samman by Swar Sadhana Samiti,Bombay in 2000;

  • Kathak Purush Alankaran in 5thUtsav Mahakaleshwar in 1998;

  • Dhrupad Bhushan title by Dhrupad Kendra, Indore in 1989;

  • Shreshtra KalaAcharya Honour by Madhuban, Bhopal in 1990;

  • Shivali Nritya Shiromani title by Shivali Cultural Society of India, Mumbai in 2005;

  • Malwa Nritya Shiromani Title by Pandit Durgaprasad Sangeet Kala
    Academy Indore in 2006;

  • “ Life time Achievement Award” by Natraj Gopi Krishna
    Academy, Mumbai.

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Dr. Puru Dadheech has served as a member of Sanskriti Parishad of
MP Government, Juror for ‘Kalidas Samman’ and ‘Shikhar Samman’ given
by M.P.Govt., Member of North Central Zone, Cultural Centre, Allahabad, nominated by  MP Govt; Member of UP Sangeet Natak Academy and MP Kala Parishad, Member of  advisory committee of Doordarshan Kendra, Lucknow; Member of the selection board of  Aakashwani, Lucknow.

As a Kathak dancer, Dr. Puru Dadheech performs through out the country in
prestigious musical events like Kathak Prasang, Bhopal, Jayadev Sangeet Sammelan, Silchar, Bhatkhande Sangeet Samaroh,Lucknow, Jaipur Kathak Kendra, etc.  Dr.Dadheech has choreographed and staged many dance dramas that connect with Sanskrit  literature and classics of India such as Meghdoot, Ritusanhar, Pratikalpayan, Indumati Swayamvar at Kalidas Samaroh, Ujjain; Amarapali, Meghdoot at Lucknow festival;  Sudha Bhojanam and
Shakuntalam at All India Sanskrit Parishad, etc. He effectively  presents the complex narratives of Sanskrit meta-theater in the easy to understand by
Kathak format, thus preserving this rich heritage for the future generations.

Dr. Puru Dadheech has also contributed immensely to the field of dance and dramaturgy by authoring 13 books, each an effective tool for scholars and performers alike. His  scholastic approach, supported with well researched historical proof has often shattered age-old beliefs making him an authority
on his subject.
 
Names of the books are-
1. Kathak Nritya Shiksha Vol I
2. Abhinaya Darpan,
3.Nritya Sutram,
4.Kathak
Dance Syllabi,
5. Nritya Nibandh,
6.Bharatnatyam Shiksha,
7. Pashchatya Nritya Kala,
8. Sanskrit Natya Prayog Vigyan aur Kalidasiya Rupak,
9. Natyashastra ka Sangeet
Vivechan
10. Abhinav Tal Manjiri,
11. Ashtottar Shat tal Lakshanam,
12. Ekadash Natya Sangarah aur Prayogtagana,
13. Kathak Nritya Shiksha Vol II.
 
Apart from these books, Dr.Dadheech has written many research articles presented at all India level Seminars and are published in reputed journals.
He is also honored to be a writer of dance and drama sections
of “Sanskriti Kosh” to be published by Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag;
Dance and Drama section of History of Sanskrit Literature to be published
by Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Sansthanam, Lucknow and Music & Dance section
of Encyclopedia Jainica.
 
Contribution of Dr. Puru Dadheech in the field of Kathak dance is truly vast.
He has retrieved the treasuretrove of knowledge of our bygone Pandits and Ustads, regenerated our old “Rachanas” to suit it with modern times like Dhrupad Nartan, Nritya Sangeet,etc. He has composed many bandishes in Uncommon talas and brought them into practice. He has composed many
Kavitas on the subject like NavRas, NayikaBhed, Shad Ritu, etc , which are
very popular among Kathak Dancers. He has alsocomposed characteristic
items of Tala, like Jati Mala, Yati mala, Tal Mala, etc. He has composed many dance items of ancient style based on Karanas, Angaharas, Mudras, of Natyashastra and thus tried to bring the ancient components of dance back into Kathak. Often quoted by Dr Puru Dadheech – ‘नृत्यं गीताश्रयम भावतालयुतं भवेत।‘ (Nrityam inexorably depends on Song(Geetam) which is a balanced coming together of emotion (Bhaav) and Rhythm (Taal)) A thought which is reflected
in all the poetic masterpieces of      Dr Puru Dadheech as he continuously
creates compositions for Kathak that will stand the test of time, making him unique in his kaleidoscopic multifaceted personas of Poet, Dancer, Choreographer, Scholar,  Author and GURU.
 

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