Sharmila Sharma

🪔 About

Sharmila Sharma is a prominent Indian classical Kathak dancer, teacher, and choreographer, known for her contributions to the art form, particularly in popularizing it in France. Born in Jaipur, India, into a family of artists, her mother, Tara Sharma, was a Kathak and folk dancer, and her father was a folk musician and singer. Sharmila began her dance journey at the tender age of three, making her stage debut and winning her first dance competition. She received her initial training in folk dances of Northern India and Kathak from her mother. Later, she joined the renowned Kathak Kendra in New Delhi, where she also studied Hindustani classical singing and tabla. Her Kathak talent was further honed under the tutelage of two legendary gurus: Pandit Rajendra Kumar Gangani, who trained her in the Jaipur style, and Pandit Birju Maharaj, under whom she mastered the Lucknow style. Sharmila Sharma became a professional dancer at the age of fourteen and has since performed extensively in national and international festivals across 35 countries. She established herself in Paris, France, in 1993, where she began teaching Kathak and is credited with introducing and popularizing the dance form in the country. She regularly conducts workshops and gives Kathak recitals, traveling between Europe and India. Her artistic endeavors include creating original works and collaborating with diverse groups, such as flamenco artists, Iranian musicians, and Renaissance music ensembles. She has also performed in French movies like “Un Indien dans la ville” and “Film et Lumière,” and choreographed for 2500 dancers for the opening ceremony of the Lille 3000 Festival. Sharmila is an empanelled artist of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and considers dance to be her "life partner" and the essence of her existence. She also works with differently-abled children, using Kathak for positive change.