Lucknow: Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya hosted Padma Vibhushan Sonal Mansingh on Monday for a two-session discourse and dance workshop that drew a packed hall of students and faculty, blending reflection on artistic values with hands-on training.
Sonal Mansingh
Vice Chancellor Prof Mandavi Singh welcomed Mansingh, who opened the interaction with the chanting of Omkar, setting a contemplative tone.Addressing students, the renowned Odissi exponent spoke about learning as a continuous process and urged them to remain receptive to knowledge from every source. She invoked the ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, saying art grows when practitioners cultivate openness and curiosity.Mansingh shared memories from her early years, recalling childhood mornings in Mumbai when she would hear the music of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan from a nearby residence. Such encounters, she said, became formative lessons that shaped her understanding of creativity and the relationship between music and movement.On mentorship, she described the guru as more than an instructor, calling the teacher a guide who helps illuminate a seeker’s path.Referring to the Natyashastra, she underlined that classical dance is inseparable from life and reflects society, culture and spiritual inquiry. Talent, she told students, must be reinforced through rigorous riyaaz, discipline, sensitivity and lifelong commitment.In the second session, students presented Bharatanatyam and Kathak pieces. Mansingh closely observed their performances and offered detailed corrections, at times demonstrating segments herself to show how hand gestures, gaze, thought and emotion must align for stage expression. She advised dancers to stay alert to everyday rhythms and draw inspiration from people and lived experience.
