Gopi Krishna

Kathak’s masculine profile, the Tandav-Ang, is equally well developed, since dance is regarded as a paean to Nataraja, Lord Shiva. Gopi Krishna was one of the most outstanding exponents of the Banaras Gharana of Kathak, his performances marked by individualistic interpretation, showmanship uncanny tempo and imaginative temperament. Born in Kolkata, Gopi Krishna was brought up by his maternal grandfather, the late Pt. Sukhdev Maharaj, a noted maestro of the Banaras Gharana of Kathak, who imbued a distinct mythological flavour to his style of dancing. Gopi was the son of Tara, a noted singer and eldest daughter of Sukhdev Maharaj. He had his early schooling in Mumbai and was known for his spirited and energetic performances. Pt. Gopi Krishna was to bring these vigorous kinetics into the dance sequences he choreographed for cinema. Although he started dancing naturally from the age of four, his training began under his maternal grandfather in Kolkata at the age of 11. Panditji was not only his mentor but also his guiding spirit. Gopi Krishna's training under the great master therefore meant strict discipline and arduous practice for seven to eight hours a day. He also took training from Shambhu Maharaj and did not believe blindly following any tradition. Gopi Krishna also learnt Bharatnatyam from Guru Mahalingam Pillai and Govind Raj Pillai from the school of Sri Raj Rajeshwari Bharat Natya Kala Mandir. He toured East Africa and Western countries. He directed dances for Indian films, besides his own performances in them. His dance direction carried a unique, individualistic touch. Equally significant is his contribution in the field of choreography. He composed a number of solo dance ballets and was the first to divide the continuous Kathak style repertoire into distinctive items, a practice now followed by other exponents of Kathak. He gave a brilliant demonstration of the same rhythm in three percussion instruments, namely, Tabla, Pakhawaj and Chanda.