An eminent Indian classical dancer, she is the maestro of Odissi dance form. She is also proficient in performing other dance forms such as Kuchipudi, Bharatnatyam and Chhau.
Background
Sonal Mansingh was born in Mumbai, second of three children to Arvind and Poornima Pakvasa, a noted social worker from Gujarat and Padma Bhushan winner in 2004. Her grandfather was Mangal Das Pakvasa, a freedom fighter, and one of the first five Governors of India.
Education
She has "Praveen" and "Kovid" degrees in Sanskrit from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and B.A. (Hons) degree in German Literature from Elphinstone College, Bombay.
Career
She has been performing on stage since 1964. She has taken formal training in Chaau dance, Bharatnatyam, and Indian music. In the year 1977, Sonal established the Centre for Indian classical Dances (CICD) in Delhi.
Her best choreographic works include Mera Bharat, Devi Durga, Indradhanush, Sabras, Manavatta, Aatmayan, and Draupati. She has traveled all over the world and entertained people with her classic dance performances. She is of the opinion that, dance should speak the issues concerning the society and people at large. Some of her choreographic works have brought forth, issues related to women and environment. She has always participated enthusiastically in seminars organized to discuss social issues.
At an art festival, she came across her first husband Lalit Mansingh. His father Dr. Mayadhar Mansingh took his daughter-in-law to Odissi guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and she began her training in Odissi dance from the year 1965. Lalit had to shift to Geneva for professional reasons. In the meanwhile, she went to Delhi to continue with her dance training. As years passed by, the couple decided to go apart.
Views
Quotations:
"A dancer is not just a dancer. He/She is part of this environment. He/She does not exist in a vacuum. Society and its happenings have an impact on all individuals, especially artists. If an art form does not reflect the existing milieu, it stagnates."