Children must be aware of classical art forms: Kathak dancer Geetanjali Lal

New Delhi, Sep 11 Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee and senior Kathak dancer-guru Geetanjali Lal, says that India is immensely rich in heritage classical art forms, including dance, music, art and theatre, and feels that "every child should at least be aware of the art forms", which she finds is not the case currently.

The founder of Devi Durga Kathak Sansthan, Lal told life while sharing her views on classical education in the country: "I am not saying everyone has to take up some art form or dance form as a profession, but one must know and be able to identify, which is what. The information is passed on to the younger generation, but only to the ones who have a keen interest in learning it; they receive it in the most skilled way, but it shouldn't only be limited to them. I see a major difference in the knowledge or even just the idea of a particular dance form amongst kids who are studying dance and non-dancers.

"I have heard this ??so many times from non-artistes - "Oh is it so? I never knew Kathak and Kathakali are two different dance forms". This shouldn't be the case. Schools should at least introduce the art forms in the most legit way to the kids in school."

The veteran danseuse is also a trained Hindustani musician before a Kathak expert.

She shares, "before Kathak, music came to my life. Music has been my subject since childhood. My father Shri Rajnikant Desai, was a well known classical vocalist of Agra Gharana. He was the disciple of Aftab-E-Mausiqi

( With inputs from IANS )