7 Timeless Female Kathak Dancers & their Iconic Legacies

By: WE staff

Kumudini Lakhia 

 Kumudini Lakhia, born on 17 May 1930, is a renowned dancer and Kathak choreographer. She was the first to revolutionize the style of the dance form. Ahmedabad, Gujarat, was her native place. By the early 1960s, Kumudini had moved past solo classical Kathak and in 1967 she founded the Kadamb School of Dance and Music, where she trained numerous artists under her tutelage.

She inspired new generations by keeping Kathak relevant to the audience today while respectful of the genre’s rich classical origins, developing contemporary themes throughout. Her pioneering work revolutionized Kathak, allowing the next few generations to dance and innovate new stories through it. 

Throughout her career, Kumudini won several prestigious awards which include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan, all of which highlight her effort as a dancer and performer throughout the years. More recently however, she received Tagore Ratna, Kalidas Samman, and Guru Gopinath Desiya Natya Puraskaram for her work.