More than her feet, Kathak dancer Uma Sharma performs with her eyes. It’s through them that she expresses rhythm in lyrics and poetry in music. The strength, Uma says, she gets from Lord Krishna, who always resides in her heart when she performs. Having been an ardent devotee of Gopala, Uma dedicates her latest performance to him, as she and her group celebrates Janmashtami through Krishna Raas Leela. This classical dance presentation in Kathak and Brij Raas style will be performed on the poetry of Dr Gopal Das Neeraj.
Uma, who has trained under gurus like Shambhu Maharaj of the Lucknow Gharana and Sundar Prasad of the Jaipur Gharana, tells us it’s become somewhat of a routine to perform Krishna Leela every year now. “It’s a ritual and I actually look forward to performing different renditions of the same classic story,” she says.
Everything about her choreography is nuanced. Her movements display a fluidity that’s both graceful and refined. “When I’m dancing, I concentrate thoughtfully on the lyrics of the poetry. For example, there’s a line that says, konn gali gaye shyam. In it, there will be an instant co-ordination of mudras and my eyes, which will depict where, which place, and which path I am going in the storytelling. The subtle changes in my facial expressions will finally bring the Krishna out in me,” she explains, with a smile that reaches her eyes, as though the mere thought of him manifesting through her is the final destination in her journey to be one with him.