Guru Pt Rajendra Gangani
Guru Pandit Rajendra Gangani
Pt Rajendra Gangani (Kathak Maestro) The disciple and son of of Pt. Kundanlal Gangani Ji, Rajendra Gangani started training in the art of Kathak dance
at the early age of four. The renowned Jaipur ‘Gharana’ saw the emergence of an outstanding performer and crusader of the art in the talented scion of
a family of hereditary dancers serving the art of Kathak for centuries together.
He is one among the few Indians who have performed solo in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, the Festival of India in USSR, apart from performances in America,
Italy, Germany, France, China, Japan and even Afghanistan.
Guru Pandit Rajendra Gangani is one of the leading practitioners of Jaipur Gharana style of Kathak known for his thrilling chakkars; entertaining tukras,
parhans, etc ;spellbiiinging footwork and heart-touching Abhinaya. For his immense contribution in the field of Kathak, He has been honoured with the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003 from Indian President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the highest award given to performing arts in India.Pt Rajendra Gangani
(Kathak Maestro) The disciple and son of of Pt. Kundanlal Gangani, Rajendra Gangani started training in the art of Kathak dance at the early age of four.
The renowned Jaipur ‘Gharana’ saw the emergence of an outstanding performer and crusader of the art in the talented scion of a family of hereditary
dancers serving the art of Kathak for centuries together. Pt. Rajendra has easily absorbed the most complicated and difficult ‘Bols’ of Kathak, today,
mesmerising audiences under the spell of his art for hours together. He has enriched himself with the essence of this style of dance together with
integrating the purity of tradition with the creativeness of a contemporary approach. Pt. Rajendra graduated from the Kathak Kendra, Delhi in the year
1983-84, and ever since has made significant contributions to this field. Although he sticks to the pure tradition of his gharana, he is an indefatigable
experimenter, having choreographed several group compositions and dance dramas to standing ovations and rave reviews. Pt. Rajendra stands out for his style;
making use of his excellent blend of manly grace and delicacy, he depicts the devotional aspects that characterises the Jaipur gharana. His dance forms
depict the love of Radha Krishna, different Lilaas of Lord Vishnu. A large number of thematic items like Leele-Varnan, Raag Vistaar, Tribandhi, Sargam,
Zhalak, Srijan, Kavitakriti, Maharaas, Parikrama has been produced by him. An accomplished musician, composer of tunes, he also has a rare mastery over
the tabla, harmonium, pakhawaj, etc. With a confident grasp of the kinetics and aesthetics of dance, and his ability to select apt songs, his choreographic
creations always bring an air of refreshing novelty. Guruji, as he is fondly called by all his students and associates has created items that are beautiful
blends of artistic excellence, meaningful poetry, soulful music and expressive dancing…a careful amalgam of all the four elements of Abhinaya. Among the
numerous awards and accolades he has won, are the ‘Sangeet Raj’, ‘Shastriya Natya Shiromani’, and the prestigious ‘Sangeet Natya Akademy Award’ which was
bestowed upon him in 2003 by The President of India, Hon’ble Shri A P J Abdul Kalam.
Guru Pt Rajendra Gsngani
He is one among the few Indians who have performed solo in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, the Festival of India in USSR, apart from performances in America,
Italy, Germany, France, China, Japan and even Afghanistan. Even at home he has been a part of significant shows like the Chidambaram Natyanjali Festival,
the Konark Festival, the Ghungroo festival at Bhopal, Kathak Mahotsava, Sharadchandrika at Delhi, Haridas Sangeet Sammellan at Vrindavan, and Nritya Ojhas
in Pune. An accomplished musician, composer of tunes, he also has a rare mastery over the tabla, harmonium, pakhawaj, etc. With a confident grasp of the
kinetics and aesthetics of dance, and his ability to select apt songs, his choreographic creations always bring an air of refreshing novelty. Apart from
routine performances, Rajendra Gangani has also been active in attempting a blend of various dance forms. Not only has he been involved in directing dance
compositions on social themes like environmental pollution (titled Prakriti), he has also attempted fusion of kathak and Mohini Attam, as also a merger of
Kathak and Bharatanatyam. Said the guru today, “The blend is limited to rhythm and footwork. The basic character of each dance form has to be preserved at
all costs. Even in a fusion presentation, kathak should stand out for its vigour and vibrancy and Bhatara Natyam should reflect the essential poise and grace.
In the preservation of distinct elements of any dance form, lies the real success of a dancer”. Rajendra Gangani the very talented choreographer who is
able with the means of Kathak technique (nritta) to create a marvelous Pt. Rajendra stands out for his style; making use of his excellent blend of manly
grace and delicac dramatic performanceis an accomplished singer and tabla-player as well.
