One of the leading exponents of Kathak Dance Uma Dogra has been enthralling the audiences all over India and abroad for more than three decades now. She has devoted her entire life to her art, starting her training at the tender age of seven under Smt. Reba Vidyarthi at Kathak Kendra, New Delhi. She later continued under Pt. Birju Maharaj finally becoming the first Ganda Bandh Shagird of late Kathak maestro Pt. Durga Lal.

The vigorous training under the exacting eye of her celebrated guru moulded her into an artist of rare individuality and exquisite taste. Through the very nature of her training, Uma combines in her art the delicacy and daintiness of the Lucknow and the vigour and alacrity of the Jaipur gharanas.

Having imbibed from her gurus the best of both traditions she has successfully enriched it with the stamp of her own personality - thus creating a style that is authentic and distinctly her own!

Endowed with a fascinating personality and highly imaginative mind, she brings to Kathak not only a mastery of technique that is the fruit of a thorough and meticulous training, but a total involvement in dance, a profound confidence and a joyous spontaneity that infuses her performance with rare intensity and authority.

Endowed with a fascinating personality and highly imaginative mind, she brings to Kathak not only a mastery of technique that is the fruit of a thorough and meticulous training, but a total involvement in dance, a profound confidence and a joyous spontaneity that infuses her performance with rare intensity and authority.

Now settled in Mumbai, Uma is the foremost Kathak soloist and teacher. Her commitment to the arts has seen her form Samved Society for Performing Arts in 1990, which not only trains and gives scholarships to performing artists but also offers them opportunities to perform by organizing two eminent yearly festivals of classical dance and music at Nehru Centre and NCPA.

“SANGEET KALA RATNA” and “PANDITA” Uma Dogra has been honoured with numerous awards by various respected bodies. She has been an A-Grade artist with Doordarshan for more than twenty years.

She has been associated with the making of several films on dance, namely NRITYA BHARTI by Dr. Kanak Rele, Jaishankar Prasad’s KAMAYANI by Films Division of India, CLASSICAL DANCES OF INDIA by Rizvi Foundation.

Uma Dogra has also made NIRVANA THROUGH DANCE a film on her guruji Pt. Durga Lal.

While performing abroad Uma has also taken workshops in Australia, UK, Canada and in USA .

Uma Dogra has been appointed as examiner many times for Pune University’s M.A students and for C.C.R.T’s scholarships exams.