Birju Maharaj
Born in a family of hereditary dancers, Pt. Birju Maharaj is the torch bearer of the famous family, Kalka-Bindadin Gharana of Lucknow, which has seen serving the art of Kathak dance through centuries. Besides being a superb dancer, he is also gifted with a number of other qualities which add to his artistic career. He is a wonderful singer having command over Thumri, Dadra, Bhajan and Ghazal, and is also a superb drummer, playing nearly all drums with ease and precision. He has given a new dimension to Kathak by experimenting this technique in the application of dance dramas, which has today become a very successful medium for mass propagation. As a choreographer he is the finest in the country today. His bold and intellectual compositions in traditional themes are brilliant, whereas his contemporary works are also refreshing in concept, crisp and entertaining. He directed and composed music and sung for two classical dance sequences in the film « The chess players », directed by Satyajit Ray. A mesure of his genius is the fact that at the young age of 28 years, he received the Sangeet Natak Academy Award. He is widely acclaimed not only as a performer but also as an inspiring ‘Guru’ – teacher, having sucessfully trained numerous students in India and abroad.
Source : Pandit Birju Maharaj ‘s website
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