Sonal Mansingh

🪔 About

Sonal Mansingh, born on April 30, 1944, in Mumbai, India, is a distinguished Indian classical dancer, guru, choreographer, and politician. Her early exposure to dance began at age four with Manipuri, followed by Bharatanatyam training from gurus including Prof. U.S. Krishna Rao, Chandrabhaga Devi, and Jayalakshmi Alva, performing her arangetram in Mumbai in 1962. In 1965, she commenced her Odissi training under the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra in Cuttack, a period crucial for the reconstruction of the Odissi repertoire. Mansingh also delved into other Indian dance forms like Chhau and Kuchipudi, and received training in Hindustani and Carnatic classical vocal music. She holds degrees in Sanskrit and German Literature. Her career, which began professionally in 1962, saw a significant challenge in 1975 when she suffered a severe car accident. Despite medical opinions that she might not dance again, her determination led to a remarkable comeback. In 1977, Mansingh founded the Centre for Indian Classical Dances (CICD) in New Delhi, an institution dedicated to training students in Indian classical dance and promoting performing arts. Through CICD, she has trained multiple generations of dancers and created numerous choreographies, often rooted in Indian mythology but also addressing contemporary issues like women's empowerment and environmentalism. Beyond her artistic contributions, Sonal Mansingh is recognized as a social activist, thinker, and orator. She has been nominated by the President of India as a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, in July 2018. Her profound impact on Indian culture has been acknowledged with numerous prestigious awards, including the Padma Bhushan in 1992 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2003, making her the second woman dancer to receive such an honor. She continues to perform, lecture, and conduct workshops globally, sharing her insights into dance and Indian culture. Awards & Honours: Padma Bhushan (1992), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987), Padma Vibhushan (2003), Sanatam Nritya Samman (1995), Medal of Friendship from the Council of State of Cuba (1995), Indira Priyadarshini Award (1994), Kalidas Samman (2006), Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) from G.B. Pant University, Uttarakhand (2007), Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) from Sambalpur University, Orissa, Lifetime Achievement Award (2019), Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) (2018), Nritya Choodamani, Hanumant Samman, Kameshwari, Honorary Doctorate from KIIT University, Bhubaneswar.