Kiran Segal

Kiran Segal

(Odissi Dance Legend)

Kiran Segal is the foremost exponent of Odissi Dance in India. She is one of the most innovative and outstanding gurus, dancers and choreographers of Odissi Dance today and it is due to this contribution of hers that Odissi has been given a totally different dimension. Her dance is known for its precision and lyricism in movement and the traditional nuances which are fast disappearing. Her abhinaya (expressional dance) has been remarked upon as sensitive & having a quality of muted intensity. Kiran Segal is one of the few top-ranking dancers of India who has taken a sincere interest in inculcating an awareness in Odissi dance amongst the youth of our country. Her lecture demonstrations, workshops and talks held all over India, have contributed immensely in taking this ancient dance form to the remotest corners of India. A nationalist by nature, she has always been at the forefront propagating art & culture through her dance. Her choreography of the Panchakshara Stotram was acclaimed as one of the finest prayers to Lord Shiva in Odissi Dance. Her choreography of the Dashaavataar has been reviewed as powerful and dramatic and her most innovative piece Taalaangiya using 15 dancers dancing to Dhrupad & drumming has been remarked upon as a sculpture in movement. Her most recent contribution to contemporary choreography using Odissi as her base is Whispering Moods and Agni The Fire Within. Her most recent piece of work is Talking To God using the poems of the Oriya poetess Kuntala Kumari Sabat. Her multi-media presentation of the Ramayana using 13 dancers an elaborate production using shadow work/dance, puppet and pata-chitra projections has also received widespread acclaim and has been remarked upon as breathtaking. The danseuse has performed on every prestigious international dance festival, platform and stage. For her dedication & contribution to Indian Classical dance, she has been honoured with several titles and awards, some of which are the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Padmashree, the Neelamadhava Award, the Kala Shreshtha Sammaan, the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award, the Nritya Vilas and the Nritya Saraswati among others. She has educated several teachers & students from schools, colleges & universities from all over India by giving over 1000 lecture-demonstrations to them on Odissi Dance. She continues to look upon Odissi dance as a guiding force in her life.