Shovana Narayan
A Unique Journey in Kathak
Few of The Firsts…...
1.The first to have danced a trio with Spanish Flamenco and Western Classical Ballet
2.The first dancer to work on philosophical themes and on the lives of contemporary sages such as Vivekanand, Ramana Maharshi, Ramkrishna Paramhansa and Mahatma Gandhi, with philosopher, Prof. Ramchandra Gandhi.
3.The first dancer to have conceived, conceptualised and brought out a dance video on the philosophy and legend of the immortal Khajuraho temples entitled ‘Dance of the Temples’
4.The first dancer to have rejuvinated the soliloquy tradition, the narrative tradition of the North-Indian dance form in “Shakuntala”.
5.The first dancer to have presented dance ballets on:
•The message of Guru Gobind Singh in ‘Satya ki Khoj’ and “Call of the Saints’ 1999,
•The attainment of ‘siddhi’ of Mahavir Jain (‘Trishala Nandan’),
• The works of 13 women saint-poets (‘Bhagtans’) from all parts of India (1997),
•On Buddhist Chants, Gregorian Chants, Zorastrian verses
•The philosophical writings of Kahlil Gibran (the well-known Lebanese philosopher) and on the works of Lebanese philosopher, Mikhail Naimy.
An Author & a keen Researcher: Eight of her works:
“Indian Classical Dances” (Shubhi Publications),
“Performing Arts in India: A Policy Perspective” (Kanishka Publications),
‘Indian Theatre and Dance Traditions” (Harman Publications),
“Kathak: Rhythmic Echoes & Reflections” (Roli Publications),
“The Dance Legacy of Patliputra” (Publications Division),
“Kathak” (Wisdom Tree Publications),
“Sterling Book of Indian Classical Dances” (Sterling Publications) and
“Folk Dance Traditions of India” (Shubhi Publications)
The latest work by her “Meandering Pastures of Memories” has been brought out by Macmillan India (September-October 2006).
“Krishna in Indian Performing Arts” (Shubhi Publication) is due to be released shortly.
International Performances:
Festival of Arts of India, Theatre de la ville, Paris, 1973
Sanskritik Festival of Arts of India, UK, 1976, 1978, 1986
Festival of Arts of India, Switzerland, 1976, 1980
Reykjavik Icelandic Arts Festival, 1982
Special performance for late Prime Minister, Mrs.Indira Gandhi’s state tour to USSR, 1982
India Festival, Festival of Arts of India, USSR including Central Asia, 1987-88
Salzburg Landestheatre, Austria, 1987
Carinthian Sommer Festival, Villach, Austria
Finkenstein Sommer Festival, Austria
Programmes in Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland, Feb-March, 1999
World Hindi Conference at London, Manchester, Netherlands, Sept 1999
International Festivals in the African continent (Algeria, Ghana, Zambia, Kenya, Namibia), in Europe (Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, Italy, Hungary, Czech republic), in South East Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia), in the Middle East (Syria, Abu Dhabi, Dubai), in Central Asia (Uzbekistan-Tashkent, Bukhara, Kazakhstan-Almaati, Kirgistan-Bishkek/Frunze, Turkmenistan-Ashkhabad), in South Asia (Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) during the period 1976 to 2000.
Thailand, 2003
Asian Alaskan Dance Festival, Alaska, 2003
Nepal, Bangladesh, 2006.
Performances before some Notable Dignitaries:Prince Charles and late Lord Mountbatten of Britain
President Doud of Afghanistan
President Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan of UAE
President Brezhnev, USSR
Yasser Arafat of Palestine
President Rudolf Kirkschlager of Austria
President Carter of USA
H.E.Ashraf Pahlavi of Iran (sister of lateShah of Iran)
President of Nigeria
President Mr.Jose Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola
President of Nicaragua
President Dr.Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia
King Jigme Singhe Wangchuck of Bhutan
President Ms. Vigdis Finnbogadottir of Iceland
President Dr.Censu Tabone of Malta
Presidents of India, Dr.Rajendra Prasad, Dr.Zakir Hussain, Dr.Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Dr.Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, R.Venkataraman, Dr.Shankar Dayal Sharma, Dr Abdul Kalam Azad
Prime Ministers of India such as Mrs.Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Atal Behari Vajpayee, I.K.Gujral, Dr Man Mohan Singh
& Dy PM, Shri L.K.Advani
