Who dared to question, to tell her own stories, to make her own mythology and to let her students, free to explore. Over half a century ago, in an interview, my legendary guru Kumudini Lakhia ji had said, that Kathak being an art of narrating stories also gave her the right to choose her own narratives. Whether anyone liked it or not, she felt, she had the right to tell the story she wanted.

And many, at the time, ‘did not like it!’

Severely criticised by the so called purists, ‘From the sublime to the ridiculous’, as mentioned by a leading critic, she continued to endeavour; to let her imagination and creativity soar; to chart her unique path, till eventually these very contentious concepts and ideas, explored by her, became the norm.

I am sure these harsh comments must have affected her but she had the strength and resilience and most importantly an unshakable conviction about what she wanted her art to be and how she wanted to be remembered.  So she persevered regardless and became the catalyst that initiated and brought about change. She was the river of Kathak; ever flowing, ever evolving, ever nourishing. Some artists live beyond their lives - not only in history books or museums but as an embodiment of the art itself. Kumiben (as fondly called by many) was one such artist.

She gave hundreds of her students as well as Kathak artists across the globe, the most precious gift — of not only dance but the courage to navigate one’s own artistic path. How does one begin to comprehend nearly nine decades of creativity? That Kumiben, was able to see way beyond her time, a fearless explorer with an agile mind and an indomitable spirit that continued to beat to the pulse of the moment, till her last breath. This is so clearly indicated by her social media post of 2024, aged 94, where she said and I quote, “Kathak is for you, you are not for Kathak — never be afraid of finding your own interpretation of this beautiful form of dance. Do fearlessly fail, start your work again, but dance your own dance.”

While I was in Ahmedabad under her tutelage from 1965 to 1982 at her institution ‘Kadamb’, she constantly emphasised that nothing is carved in stone; observe the winds of change and transform those impulses into dance, she often implied. Though we were immersed in the rigour and vigour of Kathak training, she encouraged us to be aware and vigilant towards our societal conditioning, to remove our blinkers and build widening circles with the world outside and the world within. To explore the ever changing and transforming world of movement, text, music, colours, textiles, textures, architecture, narratives….. So that one’s tiny physical form could resonate way beyond its outermost limits.

While Kumiben was training us to become soloists, she was simultaneously choreographing performances using multiple dancers; each offering, challenged one’s understanding of the form and one’s understanding of what Kathak is. Venunaad, Premchakshu, Duvidha, Shakti, Sargam, Atah Kim ….the list of her choreographic works is endless! Each one iconic and seminal and that broke all preconceived notions. She was very strict as a teacher but she inspired us with her own courage. She was possessive about her students. Yet eventually always relented, when she found that they were actually trying to ‘walk the talk’ and find their own individual journeys. Hence, you will find within her vast majority of students spread globally, an intense individualistic style and philosophy; many branded rebellious, especially those who challenge archaic conventions, as did she!

This sense of liberating the dance form from rigid historical and traditional perceptions reflected in her work as a choreographer as well as a dancer. Just a few days after she passed, the National Dance Awards in the UK were announced for 2024. It is noteworthy to mention that all the dancers with a Kathak background, who are nominated for this international recognition, had deep connections with Kumiben! Two of us, Urja Desai and myself are her students. Aakash Odedra worked under her often and has had a long association with her. Kumiben greatly inspired Akram Khan, one of the leading choreographers in the world today. In his words, after her passing, “…..a visionary who was seminal to my journey as a dancer and choreographer. She offered myself and so many others a new way of thinking about our form, Kathak. Deeply passionate and immersive, with restraint, objectivity and perspective, she was a visionary who pioneered a methodology for training, as well as a new way of approaching choreography.”

In the words of Daksha Sheth, one of her oldest students who has carved an individualistic path of her own, “Throughout my life, I have revered Kumudini Lakhia as my first teacher and guru. Entering her dance class for the first time as a young girl, I fell totally under her spell. I knew nothing about dance or different dance forms; I only knew that whatever this lady was teaching, I wanted to learn! From that moment, my life was set on a totally different trajectory. Over many years, Kumiben trained me and other young students—we became the clay on which she experimented, crafting a fresh new vision of group choreography in Indian dance. It is said that the guru opens the door, but the disciple must follow the path themselves.

Kumiben was the one who opened the door for me, and from there, I have walked my own path, exploring, questioning and discovering along the way.” From her younger batch of students, Rupanshi Kashyap, who was there with her till she breathed her last, wrote: “You could start from any phase of her 70 year-long body of work and she would bring it back a full circle, that was how clear Kumiben was about her vision. Fearless, classy, sophisticated, risky and witty, her inspiring quote, ‘Kathak has the body, give it the mind that it needs’ remains pinned to my wall! Right from learning how to walk properly, to understanding my own body, to cooking, public speaking, maintaining public relations and above all Kathak, was taught by my guru in her strictest yet coolest era.”

Her students today are forging ahead across the globe with the philosophy and the courage she gave us. “Kumiben has been pivotal in my journey as a dancer and human as she opened up pathways to think on my own terms and search beyond what is visible,” says her student Parul Shah from New York. I quote Urja Desai from the UK as well as Prashant Shah from the US, where they have set up their own dance institutions; both, her students of many years.

“Kumiben was an institution in herself. It’s humbling to even attempt to put her greatness into words — especially her contributions to dance, which are beyond measure. I am not here to write about her legendary mastery of the art form but to share my personal journey and the indelible mark she left on me. Kumiben never sugarcoated her words. Her honesty could be sharp, many a times leaving me in tears. But in those moments, she knowingly was shaping me; chiselling away my doubts, sharpening my craft, and grounding my sense of fairness and integrity. Whether it was challenging my body strength, refining my footwork, or questioning my approach to leadership, her feedback was always rooted in care and vision. I still carry her voice with me, in every rehearsal, decision, and critique.” – Urja Desai.

Prashant Shah says, “Words will never be enough to express what Kumiben means to me in my Kathak dance journey with her. My long association, bonding, understanding and training with her at Kadamb not only instilled the rich traditional Kathak grammar but also gave me a sense of freedom to explore beyond it to create my own works. It is her intellectual and meaningful approach to training for so many decades that made me realise that ‘my body has to be my best friend’, i.e. If I can’t relate to my body and if I don’t understand the sensibility and sensitivity of a particular theme, rhythmic pattern or a movement, it won’t make any sense to my choreography. She taught me ‘how to wear a movement’ and explore it with no boundaries attached to it.”

This article is neither chronological, biographical nor scholarly. It is a heartfelt outpouring of reverence and gratitude towards Kumiben, to have gifted me dance and vast realms of imagination. She was awarded some of the highest civilian awards, including the Padma Vibhushan and many accolades throughout her life. She built many bridges from the past to the present and has influenced innumerable dancers with the courage to build from the present to the future, ensuring the continuous and evolving flow of the form Kathak. An artist beyond words, guru, dancer, choreographer, visionary, infused with an indomitable spirit, Kumudini Lakhia will never pass as she has become a part of a living legacy — become a part of dance itself. What more can an artist ask for?

by

ADITI MANGALDAS

(Kathak dancer and choreographer, student of both Kumudini Lakhia and Birju Maharaj)