Poornima Pandey

🪔 About

Shrimati Purnima Pande, a distinguished figure in Indian classical dance, particularly Kathak, was born on July 23, 1946, in Almora, Uttarakhand, India. Her extensive academic and artistic journey includes a PhD in Kathak from Indira Kala Sangit Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh, and a Nritya Nipun in Kathak from Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyapeeth, Lucknow. She also holds a Sangit Visharad in vocal music and a Sangit Prabhakar in tabla from Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyapeeth and Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad, respectively. Furthering her education, she earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Lucknow. Pande received rigorous training in both the Jaipur and Lucknow gharanas of Kathak under the tutelage of eminent gurus such as M.S. Kallianpurkar, J. Vikramsinghe, Lachoo Maharaj, and Birju Maharaj. Her scholarly contributions include authoring books like 'Yugadrashta - Kathakacharya' and 'Pandit Mohan Rao Kallianpurkar,' and her PhD thesis was a comparative study titled 'A Comparative Study - Flamenco of Spain and Kathak of India.' Doordarshan Kendra, Lucknow, has extensively documented her life and work as a Kathak artist. Beyond her performances and academic pursuits, Purnima Pande has held significant administrative positions, including Chairman of the U.P. Sangeet Natak Academy, Advisor to the Department of Culture, Uttarakhand, Vice Chancellor of Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh, and Vice Chancellor of Bhatkhande Music Institute. She also established 'Abhivyakti – The Expression,' a society dedicated to the promotion of culture, and has directed and produced numerous dance-dramas. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Amrit Award, State Sangeet Natak Academy Award from Government of Uttar Pradesh, Universal Award for Significant Contribution to Society by the American Biographical Institute, U.S.A..