Pali Chandra

Pali Chandra, (born 19 November 1967) is a Kathak Exponent, Choreographer, Digital Dance Educator,[1] Mentor and artistic director.[2] Intensively trained in the field of Kathak, she now propagates Dance Education through various channels. She has established several studios specialising in Kathak Training Programs in the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, India and Switzerland. She has directed 14 Art Festivals in various continents. She is the co-founder for the portal learnkathakonline[3][4] and Course Director of Kathak for natyasutraonline[5] with Invis Multimedia.

Pali Chandra - Kathak Lucknow Gharana

Pali is a committee member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, and a graded member[6] of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Early life

Born and raised in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

  • Father: Dwarka Nath Srivastava - A retired senior officer of Reserve Bank Of India and NABARD. Based in Lucknow for most part of his life.
  • Mother: Usha Srivasatava  - an accomplished singer of Hindutani Classical Music from Faizabad.
  • Sibling: Somna Tugnai

Personal life

Pali is married to Vishal Chandra and has twin sons. They live together in Schinznach Bad in Aargau, Switzerland.

Education
  • Master's degree in Anthropology - Gold Medalist from Lucknow University in 1991 for her research on tribal music and dance of Gaddis tribe Pali Chandra,".[7]
  • Bachelors of Arts Economics and Anthropology from Avadh Girl’s Degree College, Lucknow
  • Did her schooling at Loreto Convent, Lucknow

Dance Training

Pali Chandra started dancing at the age of six.[8] Trained under her guru Vikram Singhe[9] Sangeet Natak Akademi, and Kapila Raj[10] as well as Ram Mohan Mishra [11] for 13 years at Kathak Kendra Lucknow.

Career
Pali Chandra as Digital Dance Educator Learnkathak Online

She is a senior member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, U.K. and a graded member of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She has designed and executed workshops for institutes such as Oxford University, Birmingham University and Bradford University.[12][13] Pali Chandra’s Kathak dance portal learnkathakonline has 300,000 subscriptions in the last 4 years.

The first of 4 Gurukul Studios[14] was founded in 2008 in Dubai[15] where Pali Chandra is a guru, mentor and guide to 550 students learning and performing Kathak whilst following the ISTD - UK (Imperial Society for Teachers of Dancing - United Kingdom)  syllabus.  Besides providing dance training, she is the Founder and artistic director of Swiss International Kathak Festival[16] (2019), 11 Dance Festivals called Dancing Divas (2009-2019) and several production in UK, UAE and India.

Under the banner of Pali Peacocks,[17] UK, Pali has been honored at the House of Commons in London as the Best Art Director for her production ‘In the Shadow of the Hills´. The Arts Council of England and London Arts Board,[18] amongst other Institutions & Organizations, have frequently funded her projects.[19]

Social Activist

Pali Chandra is known for her contribution to the society and environment and has taken several charity initiatives since 1995. From awareness programs on people with special needs[20] to the homeless of Harrow in UK. From giving company to the lonely in old age homes of Belmont Elderly Centre to dancing with the physically challenged of Aspire, Stanmore. She has organised fundraisers in Dubai, Bangalore and Chennai. Pali has led several projects to help raise awareness towards the environment like Ganges to Thames and Continental Shift and is now working towards a series of production aimed at empowering women.

In Dubai, she has worked closely with the management of SNF (Special Needs Foundation) and Al Noor to raise awareness and funds.

Productions and Choreographies
  • Continental Shift London, England (1994)
  • Ganges to Thames London, England (1996)
  • In the Shadow of the Hills London, England (1999)
  • Kamoshi ki Avaaz London, England (2001)
  • She UK Tour (2002)
  • Gazal in Restropect London, England (2003)
  • Rhythm Shift London, England (2004)
  • Five Elements Dubai, UAE (2010)
  • Sufi Noor Dubai, UAE (2012)
  • Across Dubai, UAE
  • Essence of Life, India (2013)
  • Naach - Hundred years of Bollywood Dubai, UAE (2014)
  • Zinda Dubai, UAE
  • Navinayika Dubai, UAE (2015)
  • Taal Mala Dubai, UAE (2016)
  • Noor ki Baarish Dubai, UAE (2016)
  • Soney ki Chidya Lebanon (2017)
  • Aamad Bangalore, India (2017), Nehru Centre London, England (2018)
  • Lasya Dubai, UAE (2018)
  • Kahani Dubai, UAE (2019)
  • Play with a Cause - Parkinson Dubai, UAE (2019)
  • Thaat Bangalore, India (2019)
  • Tihai Bangalore, India (2020)
  • Shyam Piya Zurich, Switzerland (2019)
  • Repertoire London, England (2018) & Aargau, Switzerland (2019)
  • Dance to Empower Switzerland (work in progress)

Awards
Title Issued by Country Year
Kathak Ambassador Asian Community Arts & Katha UK House of Lords

London Parliament, England

 2018
Best Art Director " Production 'In The Shadow Of The Hills’ Millennium Dome London House of the Commons London

England

 2000
Cultural Ambassador The Indian Consulate UAE Dubai, UAE 2016
Successful Art Business Award ICS  Women's Forum Dubai, UAE 2014
International Woman of the Excellence Award Dhwani Abhu Dhabi, UAE 2013
Gold Medalist Prayag Sangeet Samiti Prayag Sangeet Samiti India 1990
Lacchu Maharaja Award for Abhinaya Kadambari Kala Parishad India 1991

References
  1. "Review and described Online Engagement".
  2. "MY JOURNEY FROM DANCER TO PERFORMER TO MENTOR". Education UAE Magazine.
  3. "Learn Kathak Online".
  4. "MY JOURNEY FROM DANCER TO PERFORMER TO MENTOR". Education UAE Magazine.
  5. "Natyasutra - Insoiration of Pali Chandra".
  6. "Graded Member ICCR" (PDF).
  7. "About Gaddi Community of Himachal Pradesh". Discoveredindia.com. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  8. "Born to dance". The Hindu. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  9. Sunil Kothari (1989). Kathak, Indian Classical Dance Art. p. 32. ISBN 9788170172239. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  10. "Kapila Raj (Sharma) A Legendary Kathak Dancer. - Apni Maati: Personality". Spicmacay.apnimaati.com. 3 March 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  11. "Behance". Behance.net. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  12. "I am a keeper of art". The Hindu.
  13. "Passing the Torch". The National.
  14. "Kathak goes Global". The Hindu.
  15. "Dance like a dream". Khaleej Times.
  16. "Die indische Choreografin Pali Chandra bringt die bunte Welt Indiens mitten in den Aargau". Aargauer Zeitung.
  17. "Schools presents classic Hindi Tale". Harrow Times.
  18. "Touring details UK - Production".
  19. "The eight forms of She". Time of India.
  20. "WHo said the blind cant dance". Khaleej Times.
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