Kamalini Asthana and Nalini Asthana

Kamalini Asthana and Nalini Asthana are sisters and Kathak dancers of the Banaras gharana who have performed together for five decades. They were jointly named for the Padma Shri in 2022 in the field of art, from Uttar Pradesh ^[1].

Training

Kamalini Asthana was born in Agra on 11 November 1954 ^[2]. The sisters trained under Guru Jitendra Maharaj, known for the temple style of Kathak, and his guru, the Padma Shri awardee Krishan Kumar ^[2]. Over the years they have added their own style to what they learned ^[2].

Dance dramas and tours

They are known for choreographing dance dramas on mythological and literary themes, among them Rudra Avtar, Ardhanarishvara, Krishnamayee Meera, Yashodhara and Ganga Avtaran ^[2]. According to their citation, they danced at an altitude of 18,000 feet during the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage in 2003, setting a record ^[2]. They have toured widely and given lecture-demonstrations at universities in Britain, including Oxford, Cambridge and the London School of Economics, and in 1984 made the educational film Voyage of Kathak for London’s education authority ^[2]. Kamalini Asthana has also chaired the Kathak Kendra, the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s national institute for Kathak ^[2].

Teaching

They have run dance workshops in remote parts of the Northeast and in tribal areas, and in recent years trained more than 1,500 college students ^[2]. They have worked on projects with the Sangeet Natak Akademi on the history of Kathak and its links with yoga, and on educational films for NCERT ^[2]. Their honours include the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award ^[2].