Kathak veteran Uma Sharma receives Sumitra Charat Ram Award

Receiving Sumitra Charat Ram Award for Lifetime Achievement today reinforces my belief in myself and in a bright future for Kathak in India, said the 80-year-old kathak danseuse.Instituted in 2010, the coveted award commemorates the contribution of art impresario and founder of SBKK Sumitra Charat Ram as a cultural revivalist in post-Independent India.Kathak dancers Pandit Birju Maharaj, Kumudini Lakhia, Hindustani classical vocalists Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Jasraj, Girija Devi, Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Odissi dancer Mayadhar Raut, and flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia are among the former recipients of the award.

Kathak exponent Uma Sharma on Thursday received the prestigious 'Sumitra Charat Ram Award' in recognition of her contribution in the field of Indian classical music and dance.

She received the award from former governor of Jammu and Kashmir Karan Singh and Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in a ceremony organised at Kamani Auditorium by Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (SBKK).

''It is my passion for this form of dance that has allowed me to take it through generations and help it evolve. Receiving Sumitra Charat Ram Award for Lifetime Achievement today reinforces my belief in myself and in a bright future for Kathak in India,'' said the 80-year-old kathak danseuse.

Instituted in 2010, the coveted award commemorates the contribution of art impresario and founder of SBKK Sumitra Charat Ram as a cultural revivalist in post-Independent India.

Kathak dancers Pandit Birju Maharaj, Kumudini Lakhia, Hindustani classical vocalists Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Jasraj, Girija Devi, Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Odissi dancer Mayadhar Raut, and flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia are among the former recipients of the award. ''Dr Uma Sharma is a renowned classical dancer who has been awarded Padma Bhushan for her unique contribution to the cultural tradition of this country. She has revolutionized the repertoire of the classical form of Kathak by enriching it with literary and intellectual substance by drawing upon and interpreting the works of great poets of our country from ancient to modern time,'' said renowned classical dancer and director of SBKK Shobha Deepak Singh.