The dancing divas

They were excellent athletes and represented their college in the National Games. Later, however, they tip-toed off to another profession. They took to dancing! Nalini and Kamalini, the famous dancing-duo were in Lucknow recently for a special show.

They were excellent athletes and represented their college in the National Games. Later, however, they tip-toed off to another profession. They took to dancing! Nalini and Kamalini, the famous dancing-duo were in Lucknow recently for a special show.

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The sisters, though settled in New Delhi, have a special love for Uttar Pradesh as they were born here. Nalini is the younger one and Kamlini is the elder. But since their names are always referred to in the reverse order (Nalini followed by Kamalini), it always creates confusion, they laugh.

Dancing since the age of seven, the sisters learnt the basics from Jitendra Maharaj of the Banaras Gharana. But they have unique views on kathak!

“Kathak does not belong to the Medieval Period. It is as ancient as the history of India,” says Nalini. “Kathak travelled through all the periods of history and was polished with time,” she explains. It was Kamalini who completed her statement with, “Instead of taking kathak as a side trend in learning, the child should be made to learn it in the pre-primary along with the alphabet”.

Thirty years into dancing, the sisters say, “Our best is still to come and we have learnt nothing”.

Surprisingly, they say, their “best” audience is in Bihar!

Talking about their recent performances, the duo says, ‘Rudravatar’ was their latest ballet that deals with the incarnation of Lord Shiva as Hanuman.

Their other performances include ‘Ram Ki Shakti Puja’ penned by famous Hindi poet ‘Nirala’, ‘Yashodhara’ of Maithli Sharan Gupta and ‘Vaidehi Vanvaas’. The duo is struggling to get their institute ‘Sangeetika’ the status of deemed university which had been in existence for the 25 years.