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{{Short description|Indian choreographer, dance educator and artistic director (born 1967)}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{BLP sources|date=May 2020}}
{{BLP primary sources|date=May 2020}}
{{Autobiography|date=May 2020}}
}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
[[File:Pali Lucknow.jpg|alt=|thumb|361x361px|Pali Chandra - Kathak Lucknow Gharana]]
'''Pali Chandra,''' (born 19 November 1967) is an Indian [[choreographer]], dance educator and artistic director who propagates [[dance education]] through various channels.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Review and described Online Engagement|url=https://narthaki.com/info/rev20/rev2475.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=MY JOURNEY FROM DANCER TO PERFORMER TO MENTOR|work=Education UAE Magazine|url=https://www.education-uae.com/my-journey-from-dancer-to-performer-to-mentor/?fbclid=IwAR0y68UL1lLax7MsseYnEYY9JNn5cI8KWp84Fqd53mxUtCd_qT7n_9Z9rZM}}{{Dead link|date=February 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> She has established several studios specialising in ''[[Kathak]]'' training programs in the [[United Kingdom]], [[United Arab Emirates]], [[India]] and [[Switzerland]]. She has directed 14 [[art festival]]s in various continents and is the co-founder for the portal Learn Kathak Online<ref>{{Cite web|title=Learn Kathak Online|url=https://www.learnkathakonline.com/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=MY JOURNEY FROM DANCER TO PERFORMER TO MENTOR|work=Education UAE Magazine|url=https://www.education-uae.com/my-journey-from-dancer-to-performer-to-mentor/?fbclid=IwAR0y68UL1lLax7MsseYnEYY9JNn5cI8KWp84Fqd53mxUtCd_qT7n_9Z9rZM}}{{Dead link|date=February 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> as well as Course Director of Kathak for Natyasutra Online with [[Invis Multimedia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Natyasutra - Insoiration of Pali Chandra|url=https://www.natyasutraonline.com/about-us}}</ref>

Pali is a committee member of the [[Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing]], and a graded member of the [[Indian Council for Cultural Relations]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Graded Member ICCR|url=https://www.iccr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Referencelist2012.pdf}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Chandra was born and raised in [[Lucknow]], the capital of [[Uttar Pradesh]] to Dwarka Nath Srivastava, a retired senior officer of Reserve Bank Of India and NABARD who was based in Lucknow for most of his life; and Usha Srivasatava, a [[Hindustani classical music]] singer from [[Faizabad]]. She is the sister of Somna Tugnait. Chandra started dancing at the age of six.<ref>{{cite web|title=Born to dance|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/dance/born-to-dance/article3775797.ece|date=2012-08-15|access-date=2015-12-11|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref> She trained under her [[guru]] Vikram Singhe,<ref>{{cite book|title=Kathak, Indian Classical Dance Art|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAbMS6ynGJ8C&dq=vikram+singh+dancer&pg=PP1|author=Sunil Kothari|year = 1989|page=32| publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn = 9788170172239|access-date=2015-12-11}}</ref> [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]], and Kapila Raj,<ref name="apnimaati1">{{cite web|title=Kapila Raj (Sharma) A Legendary Kathak Dancer. - Apni Maati: Personality|url=http://spicmacay.apnimaati.com/2012/03/kapila-raj-sharma-legendary-kathak.html|date=2012-03-03|website=Spicmacay.apnimaati.com|access-date=2015-12-11}}</ref> as well as Ram Mohan Mishra for 13 years at Kathak Kendra Lucknow.<ref name="behance1">{{cite web|title=Behance|url=https://www.behance.net/rammohanmaharaj|website=Behance.net|access-date=2015-12-11}}</ref>

She graduated from [[University of Lucknow|Lucknow University]] in 1991 with a Master's degree in [[anthropology]] for her research on the tribal music and dance of the [[Gaddis]].<ref>{{cite web|title=About Gaddi Community of Himachal Pradesh|url=http://www.discoveredindia.com/himachal-pradesh/gaddi-community-himachal-pradesh.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305165813/http://www.discoveredindia.com/himachal-pradesh/gaddi-community-himachal-pradesh.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=5 March 2014|website=Discoveredindia.com|access-date=2015-12-11}}</ref> She also graduated from [[Avadh Girls' Degree College, Lucknow|Avadh Girls' Degree College]] with a [[Bachelor's degree]] in [[arts]], [[economics]], and anthropology. She also went to Loreto Convent.

== Career ==
[[File:Pali Chandra Digital Educator.jpg|thumb|Pali Chandra as a digital dance educator]]
Chandra is a senior member of the British [[Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing]] and a graded member of the [[Indian Council for Cultural Relations]]. She has designed and executed workshops for institutes such as [[Oxford University]], [[Birmingham University]] and [[University of Bradford|Bradford University]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=I am a keeper of art|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/i-am-a-keeper-of-art/article7451512.ece}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Passing the Torch|work=The National|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/passing-the-torch-1.551268}}</ref>

The first of four [[gurukul]] studios was founded in 2008 in [[Dubai]], where Pali Chandra provides instruction to 550 students learning and performing ''Kathak'' whilst following the ISTD - UK (Imperial Society for Teachers of Dancing - [[United Kingdom]]) syllabus.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Kathak goes Global|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dance/kathak-goes-global/article22365720.ece}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Dance like a dream|work=Khaleej Times|url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/general/dance-like-a-dream}}</ref> In 2019, she founded the Swiss International Kathak Festival (of which she is the artistic director),<ref>{{Cite news|title=Die indische Choreografin Pali Chandra bringt die bunte Welt Indiens mitten in den Aargau|work=[[Aargauer Zeitung]]|url=https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/aargau/brugg/die-indische-choreografin-pali-chandra-bringt-die-bunte-welt-indiens-mitten-in-den-aargau-135412695|archive-date=13 September 2019|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913222728/https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/aargau/brugg/die-indische-choreografin-pali-chandra-bringt-die-bunte-welt-indiens-mitten-in-den-aargau-135412695|url-status=dead}}</ref> organized 11 annual dance festivals called Dancing Divas from 2009 to 2019, and released several productions in the UK, UAE and India.

Under the banner of Pali Peacocks, Chandra has been honored at the House of Commons in London as the Best Art Director for her production ''In the Shadow of the Hills''.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Schools presents classic Hindi Tale|work=Harrow Times|url=https://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/552226.schools-present-classic-hindi-tale/}}</ref> Her projects have frequently received funding from the Arts Council of England and London Arts Board and other institutions and organizations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Touring details UK - Production|url=http://www.srishti.co.uk/touring/she.html}}{{Dead link|date=February 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=The eight forms of She|work=Time of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/The-eight-forms-of-She/articleshow/28102213.cms}}</ref>

=== Activism ===
Pali Chandra was involved in awareness programs for people with [[special needs]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=WHo said the blind cant dance|work=Khaleej Times|url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/wknd/who-said-the-blind-can-t-dance}}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== Productions and choreography ==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Title
! Location
! Year
|-
|''Continental Shift''
|[[London]]
|1994
|-
|''Ganges to Thames''
|London
|1996
|-
|''In the Shadow of the Hills''
|London
|1999
|-
|''Kamoshi ki Avaaz''
|London
|2001
|-
|''She''
|[[United Kingdom]]
|2002
|-
|''Gazal in Retrospect''
|London
|2003
|-
|''Rhythm Shift''
|London
|2004
|-
|''Five Elements''
|[[Dubai]]
|2010
|-
|''Sufi Noor''
|Dubai
|2012
|-
|''Across''
|Dubai
|-
|''[[Essence of Life (dance group)|Essence of Life]]''
|[[India]]
|2013
|-
|''Naach - Hundred years of Bollywood''
|Dubai
|2014
|-
|''Zinda''
|Dubai
|
|-
|''Navinayika''
|Dubai
|2015
|-
|''Taal Mala''
|Dubai
|2016
|-
|''Noor ki Baarish''
|Dubai
|2016
|-
|''Soney ki Chidya''
|[[Lebanon]]
|2017
|-
|rowspan=2|''Aamad''
|[[Bangalore]]
|2017
|-
|[[Nehru Centre, London]]
|2018
|-
|''Lasya''
|Dubai
|2018
|-
|''Kahani''
|Dubai
|2019
|-
|''Play with a Cause - Parkinson''
|Dubai
|2019
|-
|-
|''Thaat''
|Bangalore
|2019
|-
|''Tihai''
|Bangalore
|2020
|-
|''Shyam Piya''
|[[Zurich]]
|2019
|-
|rowspan=2|''Repertoire''
|London
|2018
|-
|[[Aargau]]
|2019
|-
|''Dance to Empower''
|Switzerland
|{{TBA}}
|}

== Awards ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
! Title
!Issued by
!Country
!Year
|-
|'''Kathak Ambassador'''
|Asian Community Arts & Katha UK
|[[House of Lords]]
London Parliament, England
|''2018''
|-
|'''Best Art Director " Production 'In The Shadow Of The Hills’'''
|[[Millennium Dome]], London
|[[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], London
England
|2000
|-
|'''Cultural Ambassador'''
|The Indian Consulate, UAE
|[[Dubai]]
|''2016''
|-
|'''Successful Art Business Award'''
|ICS Women's Forum
|Dubai
|''2014''
|-
|'''International Woman of the Excellence Award'''
|Dhwani
|[[Abu Dhabi]]
|''2013''
|-
|'''Gold Medalist Prayag Sangeet Samiti'''
|Prayag Sangeet Samiti
|India
|1990
|-
|'''Lacchu Maharaja Award for Abhinaya'''
|Kadambari Kala Parishad
|India
|1991
|}

== Personal life ==
Pali is married to Vishal Chandra and has twin sons. They live together in [[Schinznach-Bad|Schinznach Bad]] in [[Canton of Aargau|Aargau]], [[Switzerland]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://palichandra.org Official website]
* [https://www.palichandra.org/gurukul Official Gurukul Studios website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215010439/https://www.palichandra.org/gurukul |date=15 February 2021 }}
* [https://www.learnkathakonline.com/ Online Kathak learning platform] (co-founder)

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandra, Pali}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian female classical dancers]]
[[Category:Kathak dancers]]
[[Category:Indian classical choreographers]]
[[Category:Indian women choreographers]]
[[Category:Artists from Lucknow]]
[[Category:Dancers from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Women artists from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women artists]]

Pali Chandra - Revision history

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