Indra P P Bora

🪔 About

Indira P. P. Bora is a highly acclaimed Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and guru, renowned for her profound contributions to Sattriya, Bharatanatyam, and Kuchipudi dance forms. Born in 1949 in the Golaghat district of Assam, India, she developed an early passion for dance. Her initial training in Sattriya dance was under eminent gurus such as Rosheswar Saikia Barbayan, Ghana Kanta Bora, and her maternal uncle, Pradip Chaliha, from 1956 to 1961. To broaden her artistic horizons, Bora undertook extensive professional training in Bharatanatyam for thirteen years at Kalakshetra, Chennai, under the legendary Rukmini Devi Arundale, starting in 1961. She further honed her skills in Kuchipudi under the tutelage of Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam. Throughout her illustrious career, Indira P. P. Bora has been instrumental in popularizing Sattriya dance, one of India's eight classical dance forms, both nationally and internationally. She is recognized as one of the first female pioneers to present Sattriya on prestigious stages worldwide. In 1982, she established Kalabhumi in Guwahati, an institution dedicated to promoting classical dance and Assamese culture, where she has since imparted training in Sattriya and Bharatanatyam to hundreds of students. Her efforts extend to research, documentation, and organizing seminars and workshops on Sattriya, collaborating with traditional scholars to preserve its authentic traditions. Bora has performed extensively across India and in countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, Vietnam, and New Zealand. Notably, she was the first dancer to perform Sattriya and Devadasi dance on BBC TV in London in 1985 and the first Indian dancer to archive her Sattriya compositions at the Lincoln Centre for Performing Arts in New York City in the same year. Her daughter, Menaka P. P. Bora, continues her legacy as an accomplished dancer. Awards & Honours: Padma Shri (2020), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1996), State Bishnu Rabha Award (2004), Guru Gopinath Desiya Natya Puraskaram (2019), Jonaki Award, Senior Fellowship.