Madhavi Mudgal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1951-10-04)4 October 1951 (age 73) |
| Occupation(s) | Odissi dance performer and teacher |
| Career | |
| Current group | Gandharva Mahavidyalaya,New Delhi |
| Dances | Odissi,Bharatnatyam,Kathak |
Madhavi Mudgal is an Indian classicaldancer known for herOdissi dance style. She has won several awards, including theSanskriti Award, 1984,President of India's award ofPadma Shri, 1990,[1] theOrissa State Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 1996,Grande Medaille de la Ville byGovt. of France, 1997, CentralSangeet Natak Akademi Award, 2000,Delhi State Parishad Samman, 2002 and the title ofNritya Choodamani in 2004.[2]
Madhavi Mudgal was born to ProfessorVinay Chandra Maudgalya, the founder ofGandharva Mahavidyalaya; one of the most famous dance schools forHindustani music andclassical dance inNew Delhi. Professor Vinay Chandra Maudgalya is best remembered today for the lyrics of the songHind Desh ke Niwasi in the animation filmEk Anek Aur Ekta byVijaya Mulay which won theNational Film Award forBest Educational Film.[3] She inherited a love of art and dance from her family and under the guidance of her guru Shri Harekrishna Behera, the world soon learned of her extraordinary skills. She gave her first public performance at the age of only 4.[4] Initially, she learnt Bharatnatyam and Kathak, but finally she choseOdissi as her medium of expression. HerOdissi art skills were refined to finest under the tutelage ofGuru Kelucharan Mohapatra.
In a response to an Interview on Why she choseOdissi although she was trained initially in various other forms, she said,
The lyricism and subtlety of the form attracted me. As a child, when I was introduced to dance, only Bharatanatyam and Kathak were available as classical styles. Later, in my teens, the language barrier with Bharatanatyam and the showmanship of Kathak made me switch to Odissi which had begun to be taught in Delhi just then. Also, the challenges offered by an as-yet nascent form.[2]
She holds a diploma in Architecture and often writes for various magazines and books.[5]
She is globally acclaimed for her deep insight into the art of choreography and her commitment to train and encourage new dancers to finer nuances ofOdissi.[6]
The dance festivals featured throughout the world have critical acclaim for her choreographic works, these include the Edinburgh International Festival,U.K.; Festival of India in United States; the Cervantino Festival, Mexico; Vienna Dance Festival, Austria; Festival of Indian Dance, South Africa; Festival of Indian Culture, São Paulo, Brazil; Days of Indian Culture, Hungary; Festival of Indian Arts, London; the Avignon Festival, France; Pina Bausch's Festival, Wuppertal and Berlin Festpiele, Germany; and festivals in Italy, Spain, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan and the Indian subcontinent. She played a leader role is establishingOdissi as one of the majorclassical dance forms of India through audio-visual presentations, concerts as well as with the organisation of widely appreciated specialised dance festivals in India.[6] Her credibility can be established from the following quote,
Madhavi Mudgal tells us how it feels to dance – anticipation, endurance and closure can be read on her face. Seeing her fingers trill like a coloratura negotiating an aria is a thrill.[7]
She thinks that the most memorable day in her life is the moment when Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra accepted her as his disciple.[2]
Her brotherMadhup Mudgal aPadma Shri award winner, is known for hiskhayal andbhajan renditions. He is also a composer, conductor and has been principal of theGandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi, a music and dance school since 1995.[8][9] Her niece Arushi (34), daughter of Madhup Mudgal[10] and a former student of Carmel Convent School batch of 2004 in Delhi, trained by Madhavi at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, made her stage debut as a soloOdissi dancer in 2003.[11] In 2008, she was the only Indian dancer to participate in International Dance Festival 2008 organised by German choreographerPina Bausch, where she performed a self choreographed piece,Bageshri.[12] Madhavi Mudgal's second brotherMukul Mudgal is a retired Chief Justice of thePunjab and Haryana High Court who headed theMudgal Committee, comprisingAdditional Solicitor General of IndiaL Nageswara Rao and senior advocate and formercricket umpireNilay Dutta, appointed by theSupreme Court to conduct an independent inquiry into the allegation ofcorruption, betting and spot-fixing in 2013 Indian Premier League.[13][14] Born on 4 January 1949, Justice Mudgal was appointed as a Judge of the Delhi High Court on 2 March 1998. He was sworn in as Chief Justice of the High Court on 5 December 2009 and retired on 3 January 2011. Her nephew Dhaval, son of Justice Mudgal and notedHindustani classical vocalistShubha Mudgal is a lead singer in a famous Delhi-based band Half Step Down[15][16] and a promising poker player.[17]
A disciple and niece of Madhavi Mudgal, Arushi has already made her mark as a fleet-footed young dancer... set to music by her father, Hindustani vocalist Madhup Mudgal, and choreographed by Madhavi Mudgal
