Pali Chandra

🪔 About

Pali Chandra, born on November 19, 1967, is an acclaimed Indian Kathak choreographer, dance educator, and artistic director, recognized for her significant contributions to propagating Kathak globally. Raised in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, she began her Kathak training at the age of six. She received extensive tutelage for 13 years at Kathak Kendra Lucknow under maestros such as Guru Vikram Singhe, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Kapila Raj, and Ram Mohan Mishra, representing the esteemed Lucknow Gharana of Kathak. Chandra furthered her academic pursuits, earning a Master's degree in anthropology from Lucknow University in 1991, with research focused on the tribal music and dance of the Gaddis. Her career spans performing, choreographing, and teaching, with a strong emphasis on dance education through various channels. She established Gurukul Studios, with branches in Dubai and Switzerland, where Kathak is taught following the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD), UK syllabus. The first Gurukul studio was founded in Dubai in 2008. Chandra is also the co-founder of the online portal Learn Kathak Online and serves as the Course Director and Chief Mentor for Kathak on Natyasutra Online with Invis Multimedia, pioneering digital dance education. She has directed 14 art festivals across continents, including organizing 11 annual 'Dancing Divas' festivals from 2009 to 2019 and founding the Swiss International Kathak Festival in 2019. As a senior member of the ISTD, UK, and a graded member of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), she contributed to formulating the Kathak syllabus for the ISTD. She has conducted workshops and lecture-demonstrations at prestigious institutions worldwide, including Oxford, Birmingham, Bradford, Seattle, and Hong Kong Universities, as well as the London School of Contemporary Dance and the Berlin Museum. Dr. Chandra holds a Doctorate in Dance Education from Ecole Supérieure Robert de Sorbon University, Paris (2021), and an Honorary Industrial Doctorate from AIMRI. Beyond her artistic endeavors, she is known for her social activism, initiating charity projects since 1995 for various causes, including supporting individuals with special needs, the homeless, the elderly, and organizing fundraisers for cornea transplants for visually impaired girls. Awards & Honours: Kadambari Kala Parishad Abhinaya Award (1990), Gold Medalist Prayag Sangeet Samiti (1990), Gold Medalist Prayag Sangeet Samiti (1991), Best Art Director for 'In The Shadow Of The Hills' (2000), Women of the Excellence Award (2013), Successful Art Business Award (2014), Gold Medalist for the Research on Dance and Music of the Gaddi Tribe, Cultural Ambassador (2016), Lachhu Maharaj Award for exceptional mastery of abhinaya, Kathak Ambassador (2018), National Scholarship holder.