Sitara Devi- One of the famous Kathak Dancer

SitaraDevi is among the great dancers of modern India. She is born in Calcutta. She was trained in Kathak by her father Shri Sukhdev Maharaj Misra and by masters of Lucknow gharana including Achhan Maharaj, Lachhu Maharaj and Shambu Maharaj. She has combined the traditions of Banaras and Lucknow in her performance of Kathak. An exhaustive treatment of the entire gamut of nritta, sometimes in different talas, interspersed with gats of lyrical beauty and compositions of dramatic intensity followed by moving renditions of thumris and Bhajans constitute the format of her hours long performances, characterized by an electrifying energy.  In many ways she represents a lost era of Katha performed all night with the accompaniment of masters of Tabla like Kanthe Maharaj, Samta Prasad and Kishan Maharaj. Sitara Devi has danced extensively in India and  abroad contributing to the popularization of the art.  She has also been an actress and dancer in films  since the silent era. In a class of her own, she continues  to inspire her audience and fellow artists. She has been honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi  Award (1969) and the Padma Shri.