Life and Works of Kumudini Lakhia: A Study in Modern Kathak Choreographies

Abstract

Post-independence India, the preservation and exhibition of art heritage, earlier a part of the
nationalist project, took a different shape. Though syncretism was celebrated as an integral
part of the Indian culture during this period, differing opinions on art hindered its effective
development in the progressive years. What began as ‘constitutional patriotism’i
(Ahmad, 44)
here, specifically ‘cultural nationalism’ (44), in the building of the nation-state was divided
into an argument between technique, exquisiteness and authenticity. In a sovereign state,
institutions thus became a significant space for organising the disparate opinions on
performing arts in the country. As Maya Rao, an eminent Kathak dancer observed, there
persisted a ‘“fragmented” approach in dance’ with unsystematic methodology (Walker 123).