Kiran Segal

🪔 About

Kiran Segal is a prominent Indian classical dancer, renowned for her mastery of Odissi, a lyrical and expressive dance form originating from the state of Odisha. Born in 1944 in Dehradun, she is the daughter of celebrated dancer and actress Zohra Segal and painter Kameshwar Segal, growing up immersed in the performing arts. Her early exposure included working as a child artist at Prithvi Theatre. Segal initially trained extensively in Bharatanatyam under gurus such as Sadashiv Shetty, Nana Kasai, K.J. Govindarajan (also known as Govindarajan Pillai), and Sunita Golwala. A pivotal shift in her artistic journey occurred after she was mesmerized by Yamini Krishnamurthy's Odissi demonstration, leading her to pursue this form. She received extensive training in Odissi under the eminent Guru Mayadhar Raut at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in Delhi, commencing in the 1970s. Segal began her professional Odissi career in the early 1970s, quickly gaining acclaim for her precision, lyricism, and emotional depth. Her innovative choreographies include "Panchakshara Stotram," "Dashaavataar," "Ramayana" (a multimedia presentation), "Agni," "Whispering Moods," "Talking To God," and "Taalaangiya." She has performed in over 41 countries, with notable appearances at the Avignon Festival in 1977 and the Festival of India in the USSR in 1986-87. Dedicated to promoting Odissi, Segal has conducted over 1,000 lecture-demonstrations across India to foster awareness among youth and in remote areas. In 1986, she founded the Pallavi—Odissi Nritya Sangeet Vidyalaya in New Delhi, where she continues to serve as a guru, training the next generation of dancers. She also curates the annual Zohra Segal Festival of the Arts, launched in 2016. Awards & Honours: Padma Shri (2002), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2002), Neelamadhava Award, Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award, Kala Shreshtha Sammaan, Nritya Vilas, Nritya Saraswati.