Purushottam Dadheech, who received the Padma Shri in 2020, is an exponent of which dance?

Explanation

Dr. Purushottam Dadheech is a Kathak dancer, guru and scholar from Madhya Pradesh. He received the Padma Shri in 2020 for his contribution to Kathak, especially for his work as a teacher and researcher of the dance.

Purushottam Dadheech has spent several decades performing, teaching and writing about Kathak. He is known especially as a scholar who has studied the old texts on Indian dance, such as the Natya Shastra, and has written books on the theory and history of Kathak. He has taught Kathak at university level, guided research students and trained many dancers. He has also worked to revive old compositions and to present Kathak in a form that is rooted in the classical texts.

Kathak is the classical dance of North India. Its name comes from the word "katha" (story), because it developed from the tradition of the kathakars, storytellers who narrated stories from the epics in temples. In the medieval period, it was performed in the Mughal and Rajput courts and absorbed Persian and courtly influences. Kathak is known for its fast and intricate footwork (tatkar), performed with ghungroos (ankle bells), its spins (chakkars) and its expressive storytelling. It has three main gharanas: the Lucknow gharana (graceful and expressive, developed under Nawab Wajid Ali Shah), the Jaipur gharana (known for powerful footwork and rhythm) and the Banaras gharana. The Raigarh gharana developed later, under the patronage of Raja Chakradhar Singh. Famous Kathak artists include Birju Maharaj, Sitara Devi, Kumudini Lakhia, Shambhu Maharaj and Shovana Narayan.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Odissi is the classical dance of Odisha, linked with Kelucharan Mohapatra.
• ✗Kuchipudi is the classical dance of Andhra Pradesh, linked with Vempati Chinna Satyam.
• ✗Manipuri is the classical dance of Manipur, linked with Guru Bipin Singh.