Artline

Shobha Koser's name is synonymous with the Jaipur Gharana of Kathak in North India. She has been recently awarded the status of Top Art...

Shobha Koser8217;s name is synonymous with the Jaipur Gharana of Kathak in North India. She has been recently awarded the status of 8220;Top Artist8221; by Doordarshan. This award gives her the unique privilege of being the first dancer from this region to be given such a status. 8220;This is a great honour8221; says Shobha. There are very few performing artists of the country who have been given this status and Shobha is probably the only living dancer of the Jaipur Gharana to enjoy this privilege.

Shobha Koser definitely deserves this honour. For thirty eight year as Head of the Dance Department of the Government College for Girls Sector 11, she has been responsible for changing the texture of dance in the city. She has choreographed more than six dance ballet-Kamaini8217; Amrapali8217; Chitarangda8217; Kumarsambhav,8217; Geet Govinda8217; Milan8217; and Chandanbala8217;. 8220;I really enjoy choreographing ballets as they give me a chance to explore the full potential of dance,8221; says Shobha. She has been greatly inspired by Sitara Devi.

Almost all dance teachers employed in the different schools and colleges of Punjab are her students. Many of the students are spreading the name of her gharana8217; in Mauritius, Canada, America, London, Singapore and Australia. More than a thousand students have been personally trained by Shobha Koser. As the dance head of the Chandigarh based Pracheen Kala kendra, Shobha has been training and guiding hundreds of students at the Kendra as well.

She has just finished recording for a film which is being made by the North Zone Cultural Centre, directed by G.S.Channi, based on the Jaipur Gharana. Shobha8217;s mastery of the Jaipur Gharana is completely holistic. She made her dance debut at the age of fifteen and credits her achievement of Kathak to her guru Kanhiya Lal Gangani and the perfection of subtle intricacies to guru Kundan Lal Gangani.

A homemaker and mother of two children Sajal and Purba at no point in her life did Shobha ever neglect her domestic life. 8220;I am truly content with my life. I am fulfilled in every way8221;. Even though living away from the cultural capital of the country, New Delhi, has had its share of limitations, Shobha turns this disadvantage to her advantage. 8220;The love and respect I have got from the people of the city makes up for it. Whenever any visiting artist comes to the city, they contact me, come and visit me, particularly the dancers.8221;

Over the years she has been carefully watching the growth of her medium. 8220;Though there a lot more people learning dance, the commitment to dance has definitely taken a back seat. Voh purani vafadaari, seriousness, love for the dance is now missing. Professionalism and urge for money in children has increased. Students are in a hurry to become performing artists or start little commercial classes on the side. The intensity of love for the subject which was there in my days has lessened. There may be an odd student here or there who may want to earn with peace and sincerity.8221;

As to the future of a performing artist Shobha says, 8220;it is very important to either have a base or a godfather, without which it is very difficult for a dancer to move to the stage. Dances need a large troupe of music accompanists with them to sustain such an establishment. Also, initially the artist has to have a strong financial backing8221;.

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In this way Shobha Koser was lucky enough to have to support of her family and her husband, Madan Lal Koser, himself a dancer. What is incredible about this dynamic woman is the fact that she is full energy and dynamism. 8220;There is too little time and too much to do. All what to do is just to keep doing kathak8217; and devoting all my time for developing and disseminating it8221;.