Nighat Chaudhry (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Lahore, Pakistan and moved to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

when she was one year old. She is a trained Sufi & Mystique Kathak classical dancer. She started her journey from London and has been active as a professional Kathak dancer for over three decades. She studied

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

and contemporary dance. She met

Nahid Siddiqui Nahid Siddiqui (born 1956) is an exponent of Kathak dance. She has been a disciple of two great teachers: Maharaj Kathak (Pakistan) and Birju Maharaj (India). She has against all odds and challenges, spent decades of her life breathing hope, v ...

at age of fourteen, regarded as one of the greatest

Kathak Kathak ( hi, कथक; ur, کتھک) is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. It is the classical dance from of Uttar Pradesh. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards in ancient northern Ind ...

dancers and trained under her guidance. Inspired to learn the classical forms of her own culture, she abandoned ballet and join to understand and absorb the nuances of the style. This required her to be closer to its origins and she moved back to Pakistan.

Early life

Education

She completed her formal education from London in O and A levels and is certified in a Dance Foundation Course from the Laban Center for Movement and Dance, Goldsmiths College, London. Presently acquired a master's degree in professional practice in dance technique pedagogy from Middlesex University London and a Certified Skill Diploma In Choreography from Jain University Bangalore.

Kathak training and courses

* Certificate in Classical ballet and Creative Dance at Fulham Gilliatt and Rambert, London.1970-76 * Classical Kathak Dance training under Nahid Siddiqui, London.1977-83 * Classical Kathak Dance training under Maharaj Ghulam Hussain Kathak,

Lahore.1983-87 * Trained with two advance intensive workshops at

Kumudini Lakhia Kumudini Lakhia (born 17 May 1930) is an Indian Kathak dancer and choreographer based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where she founded Kadamb School of Dance and Music, an institute of Indian dance and music in 1967. A pioneer in contemporary Kathak d ...

, London.1981/91 * Advance classical kathak training under Pandit

Durga Lal Pandit Durga Lal (1948 - 21 January 1990) was a renowned Kathak dancer of the Jaipur Gharana. He was born in Mahendragarh, Rajasthan. He is known for playing the main role in the 1989 dance drama ''Ghanashyam'', the music of which was composed ...

and Uma Durga at kathak Kendra, Delhi. 1988-92 * Summer intensive Kathak Workshop at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Educational Trust with

Saswati Sen Saswati Sen is an Indian dancer and choreographer, and an exponent of Kathak, an Indian classical dance form. She was a senior disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj, and still teaches and performs at his Kalashram Institute in the Jor Bagh distric ...

, the seniormost disciple of Pandit

Birju Maharaj Pandit Birju Maharaj (born Brijmohan Nath Mishra; 4 February 1938 – 16 January 2022) was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, child molester and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant o ...

. 2015 * Completed Grade 3 certificate under

Pali Chandra Pali Chandra, (Born 19 November 1967) is a Kathak Exponent, Choreographer, Digital Dance Educator, Mentor and Artistic Director. Intensively trained in the field of Kathak, she now propagates Dance Education through various channels. She has ...

Gurukul, the renowned Kathak Guru, Dubai. 2016

Family background

She belongs to a literary family from her father's side and the business world from her mother's side. Her grandfather from her maternal side had a renowned business by the name of Chaudhry hosiery mills before partition in

Dacca Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

Ludhiana Ludhiana ( ) is the most populous and the largest city in the Indian state of Punjab. The city has an estimated population of 1,618,879 2011 census and distributed over , making Ludhiana the most densely populated urban centre in the state. I ...

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

and

Faisalabad Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...

, while her father Abdur-rehman Chaudhry was a professor who taught mathematics as his subject at

University of Agriculture Faisalabad The University of Agriculture (UAF) is a public university, public Research universities, research university in Faisalabad, Pakistan. History Origins The University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (Urdu: ), (formerly: ''Punjab Agricultural Colle ...

eventually moving on to becoming a professor at Government College University (Lahore). Farooq Chaudhry is her brother, who graduated with a bachelor's in Dance Performance from The Place ( Sadler's Wells Theatre) in London and performed as an international professional dancer in the eighties and nineties. He received an Asian Achievement Award for his work as a performer in 1988. In 1999, he retired from dancing and completed an MA in Arts Management from City, University of London. In 2000, Farooq Chaudhry co-founded the Akram Khan company with

Akram Khan (dancer) Akram Hossain Khan, MBE ( bn, আকরাম হুসেইন খান) (born 29 July 1974) is an English dancer and choreographer of Bangladeshi descent. His background is rooted in his classical kathak training and contemporary dance. Car ...

and became the company producer. He has had leadership roles as a producer for the

English National Ballet English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet and based in London, England. Along with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottish ...

in October 2013 and an international executive director for China's National Dance icon Yang Liping since 2016.

Career

Professional history

In 1985, she was inducted as an air hostess with

British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport. The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and passengers ...

(Karachi Base). She was appointed as a lead kathak dancer in Nahid Siddiqui's Dance Company London in 1996. Then in 2001, she started working as a director of PNCA

Pakistan National Council of the Arts Pakistan National Council of the Arts ( ur, , or PNCA) was set up to spearhead the development of arts in Pakistan by an Act of Parliament in 1973. It aims to build a robust arts ecosystem by creating an environment conducive to the flourishi ...

. She created a dance syllabus and taught as a performing arts dance instructor at

Lahore Grammar School Lahore Grammar School (LGS) is a group of private education institutions based in the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, with branches spread throughout the country. The system was established in 1979 at its 55 Main Gulberg campus. Today, LG ...

in 2010. In 2012 she taught dance as a dance teacher at HeadStart School Islamabad. In 2013 she taught at Kuch khaas Center for Arts culture & dialogue and Liberal Arts High School Islamabad. Presently, she is teaching dance at Faiz Ghar and her own institute, Institute of Performing Arts.

Performances as a cultural artist

In 1994, she performed Kathak Solo performance at the FTC auditorium Karachi launching self-choreographed dance work. In 1995, she accompanied Benazir Bhutto (Late Prime–Minister of Pakistan) in a cultural troupe to Turkmenistan, London and the USA projecting a soft and strong cultural image of Pakistan through her lectures, workshops and magnificent dance performances. She choreographed and danced in a ballet on the life of the late

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourt ...

on his death anniversary in Larkana Pakistan and gained tremendous recognition for her outstanding talent. She performed in all the World Performing Arts Festival in Pakistan hosted by Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop. It was continued from 1995 until 2013. In 2003, she performed for

Arts Council of Pakistan The Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi is a council for the promotion of arts and culture in Pakistan, and one of the busiest in terms of organizing events. It is the country's oldest NGO (non-government organization) for the promotion and develo ...

to Promoting Cultural events for the music Committee Karachi. In 2004, she performed a Kathak Performance at the Kodak-HRD Congress Serena Hotel Islamabad. In 2005, she choreographed and performed in

Lux Style Awards The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The awards celebrate "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, and it is the oldest event dedicated to cinema, television, fashion, music and film industry ...

and

TVOne Global TVOne Pakistan ( ur, ) is a general entertainment channel from Pakistan that airs dramas, soaps, sitcoms, and foreign (American, British) reality and lifestyle programs. Seema Tahir Khan is the CEO and creative head of the channel. History Sta ...

Launch show. In 2005, she performed at the Presidency for President

Pervez Musharraf General Pervez Musharraf ( ur, , Parvez Muśharraf; born 11 August 1943) is a former Pakistani politician and four-star general of the Pakistan Army who became the tenth president of Pakistan after the successful military takeover of t ...

on 23 March

Pakistan Day The Resolution Day ( ur, , translit=Yawm-e-Qarārdād), also known as the Pakistan Day ( ur, , translit=Yawm-e-Pākistān) and Republic Day, is a national holiday in Pakistan primarily commemorating the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the Mu ...

. In 2008, she performed for the Pakistan Embassy Spain in an event called Qalandarbass to promote and support the development of Pakistan's cultural diversity. In 2009, she performed for the

World Population Foundation The World Population Foundation (WPF) was founded in 1987 in the Netherlands by Diana and Roy W. Brown. Their purpose was to create an organisation to draw attention to the effects of high birth rates and rapid population growth on maternal and ...

an evening called International Mother's Night Islamabad. In 2013, she performed for PC (

Pearl-Continental Hotels & Resorts Pakistan Services Limited, doing business as Pearl-Continental Hotels & Resorts (also abbreviated to PC Hotels), is the largest chain of five-star hotels in Pakistan with properties in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Gwadar, Bhurban, Muza ...

) events in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar for promotion of Classical Dance in Pakistan. In 2013, she performed a KATHAK and HIP-HOP Fusion on

International Dance Day the performing arts of UNESCO. The event takes place every year on 29 April, which is the anniversary of the birth of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810), who is considered to be the "father" or creator of modern ballet (ie. classical or romant ...

at Kuch Khaas Islamabad, Pakistan and performed in

All Pakistan Music Conference The All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC) is a volunteer organization founded in 1959 for the promotion of classical arts in Pakistan and continues to preserve and promote Pakistani classical and folk music and dance. It hosts a concert of musi ...

, Lahore. She also performed in Gala Evening Pakistan Chest Society with

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (Punjabi, ; born 9 December 1974) is a Pakistani Singer, primarily of Qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music. Khan is one of the biggest and highest paid singers in Pakistan. He is the nephew of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ...

, IBEX Club Lake View, Islamabad. She performed in South Asia Labour Conference at

Hazuri Bagh Hazuri Bagh ( ur, ) is a garden in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, bounded by the Lahore Fort to the east, Badshahi Mosque to the west, the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh to the north, and the Roshnai Gate to the south. The garden was built during the rei ...

, Lahore, Pakistan. In 2014, she performed in a Sufi Kathak musical evening in Multan, organized by the Honorary Consulate General of Paraguay in honor of the ambassador of the

Argentines Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...

. She performed in a tribute to the famous poet

Faiz Ahmad Faiz Faiz Ahmad ''Faiz'' (13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984; Urdu, Punjabi: فیض احمد فیض) was a Pakistani poet, and author of Urdu and Punjabi literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated Pakistani Urdu writers of his time. Outsi ...

Book launch in Sindhi by

Government of Sindh The Government of Sindh ( sd, حڪومت سنڌ) ( ur, ) is the provincial government of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Its powers and structure are set out in the provisions of the 1973 Constitution, in which 30 Districts of 7 Divisions u ...

, Karachi, Pakistan and performed in 5th Alhamra International Conference (Beetay Hoay Din Yaad Aatey Hain) in Al-hamra Cultural Complex. She also performed in Raqs Mein Hai Sara Jahan as "Dancing Away Differences", celebrating

at the Art Council, Karachi. She Presented Nuqta a special Sufi Dance performance with live music and poetry on the occasion of the 14th Daniel Pearl World Music Day 2015 in collaboration with kuch khaas and the U.S. embassy. She participated as a dance choreographer/trainer in a sixth workshop on capacity building and skills development to strengthen local theatre artists’ capacity to use theatre to promote social change in Southern Punjab, organized by international alerts Pakistan in collaboration with SRAM Studios, Pakistan.

Performances as a cultural ambassador

She was noticed for her extraordinary dance talent and was chosen to represent Pakistan in the Asian Advertising Congress in Seoul, South Korea in 1985 and the Great hall of China in 1987. In 1995, she was invited by Citibank and had the honor to perform for the ex-Prime Minister of Great Britain

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

at the

Lahore Fort The Lahore Fort ( ur, , lit=Royal Fort, translit=Shāhī Qilā, label= Punjabi and Urdu) is a citadel in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. The fortress is located at the northern end of walled city Lahore, and spreads over an area greater than 20 ...

. In 2009, she performed at Agha Khan Foundation A collaborative dance performance for the Worlds of the Indian Ocean in Karachi Invited by the Pakistan Embassy to Perform for a charity show in Morocco for the Royal family of Morocco. In 2012, she performed at the Wief Johor Bahru Malaysia 8th World Islamic Economic Forum. In 2016, she choreographed and performed as Cultural leading ambassador, in the

World Cultural Festival The World Cultural Festival (WCF) was held on the Yamuna floodplains in New Delhi from 11–13 March 2016. It was organised by Ravi Shankar to celebrate the Art of Living Foundation’s 35 years in service. It was reported to have been atten ...

among 155 countries at the platform of the Art Of Living Sri Sri

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North In ...

in Delhi India. She has performed to great acclaim in many countries around the world like Japan, China, Sicily, Rome, Singapore, India, England, Austria, France, Germany, Mauritius, and US. Apart from participating in a number of the International Dance and Theatre Festivals in Pakistan, she has represented the country on platforms like the

American Dance Festival The American Dance Festival (ADF) under the direction of Executive Director Jodee Nimerichter hosts its main summer dance courses including Summer Dance Intensive, Pre-Professional Dance Intensive, and the Dance Professional Workshops. It also ho ...

in the States, and the Young Dancer's Festival in India, and many others.

Performances of Pakistan television

1996 Cricket World Cup The 1996 Cricket World Cup, also called the Wills World Cup 1996 after the Wills Navy Cut brand produced by tournament sponsor ITC, was the sixth Cricket World Cup organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was the second World C ...

was hosted in Pakistan, Nighat Chaudhry was chosen to present a cultural festival in all the major cities, she choreographed for a group of 35 dancers where she acted and danced the character Sassi (A folk legend of Sindh) and the legendary Anarkali in a dance ballet which was also televised for

Pakistan Television Pakistan Television Corporation ( ur, ; reporting name: PTV) is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster. Pakistan entered the television broadcasting age in 1964, with a pilot television station established at Lahore. Background Historical co ...

. She has performed on numerous occasions in Pakistan such as Eid, National Days and Award Ceremonies for PTV and other T.V channels since 1995 to 2010. She performed in PTV numerous significant thematic performances on. She performed for Pakistan Television for a classical musical programme called RAAG GALA in 2013. She performed for the anniversary for the PTV World, A solo and with famous Sufi singer of Pakistan

Abida Parveen Abida Parveen ( Urdu, sd, ; born 20 February 1954) is a Pakistani singer, composer and musician of Sufi music. She is also a painter and entrepreneur. Parveen is one of the highest paid singers in Pakistan. Her singing and music has earned ...

in 2014. She performed and choreographed for Firdous-E-Gosh, a Classic Musical Soiree, produced by PTV Pakistan Television in 2015.

Performances for fund raising

Nighat Chaudhry performed raising funds for many charities in Pakistan such as the Cancer Society, Association for Children with Emotional and Learning Problems,

SOS Children's Villages SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit international development organization headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria. The organization provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children in need and protect ...

and

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

. In 1991, she performed for

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confidenc ...

’s cancer hospital, a Kathak Guitar fusion with Salman of Junoon. In 1995, she performed for UNICEF in Islamabad. In 2012, to promote peace and love she also performed with the Sufi rock group JUNOON on the platform "United for Peace" a benefit concert for world Peace. In 2013, she also presented a dance to empower women called Strike Dance Rise, a celebration of women's courage and their determination to live and rise for justice, an e global campaign called

One Billion Rising One Billion Rising is a global campaign, founded by Eve Ensler, to end rape and sexual violence against women. It was started in 2012 as part of the V-Day movement. The "billion" refers to the UN statistic that one in three women will be raped ...

for Justice, in collaboration between Kuch Khaas and the Islamabad-based AMAL Human Development Network.

Performances at festivals

Nighat Chaudhry has performed to great acclaim in many festivals around the world as well as International Dance and Theatre Festivals in Pakistan. She performed in the

Duke University North Carolina and

Mela Karachi in 1991. She performed in the Young Dancer's and Raindrops festival at the Iskon Hare Rama Hare Krishna center Mumbai India in 1992. She performed a Kathak Solo in the first National Dance Festival Held by the Rafi Peer Theatre Karachi in 1995. She performed in the Mauritius Festival of solidarity for children in the Indian Ocean in 1996. She performed in the International Mystic Music Sufi Festival in Karachi Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop in 2007. In 2010, Nighat was invited by the Engendered Dance Festival New York to present her new dance work on women called

Purdah Pardah or purdah (from Hindi-Urdu , , meaning "curtain") is a religious and social practice of female seclusion prevalent among some Muslim and Hindu communities. It takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes and the requirement that wom ...

. She performed at the Lincoln Center and Symphony Space. Her performance was reviewed by the ballet review as the most intense dance performance to come out from a country like Pakistan. She performed at the Wief Johor Bahru Malaysia 8th World Islamic Economic Forum in 2012. She performed in the 2nd National Dance Festival, Lahore Rafi Peer Theatre workshop in 2013. She performed in a 5-day festival of music, poetry, literature and dance celebrating Amir Khusro's work Jamal-E-Khusro in 2014. In 2016, she choreographed and performed as Cultural leading ambassador, in the World Culture Festival amongst 155 countries at the platform of the Art Of Living Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Delhi India.

Acting and on-screen appearances

In 1992 she started her career as actress; she performed in a video of Pakistan's first "Sufi Rock"

Junoon (band) Junoon ( ) is a Pakistani sufi rock band from Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, and Tappan, New York, formed in 1990. The band is directed by founder, lead guitarist and songwriter, Salman Ahmad, who was soon joined by keyboardist Nusrat Hussain, bass ...

, for MTV. She acted in mini-series "Mr. D.J" and "Shee Jee" and in two long plays: "Mystery Theatre" and "Raqeeb". Then she appeared in an interview with TV Asia, London. In 1993, she played a female lead role in PTV drama "Maig Malhar" – a love story of 13 episodes based on the division of Pakistan in 1971. She also awarded best actress award for this drama serial. Then she acted in "Jaal", Pakistan's first soap opera of 100 episodes, which went on air in Pakistan and on the satellite channel, Zee Tv from London. In 1994, she performed in NTM (Network Television Marketing) Prime Time Show. She choreographed and danced in a fusion of Kathak and Modern Dance to

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ( pa, ; born Pervez Fateh Ali Khan; 13 October 1948 – 16 August 1997) was a Pakistani singer, songwriter, and music director. He was primarily a singer of qawwali — a form of Sufi devotional music. Sometimes ...

’s song "Mera Piya Ghar Aya". She appeared in an interview with Weekend Masala on NTM. In 1996, she danced in a video based on the achievements of women called "Aurat", choreographed and danced to a concept on communications for NTM Viewers Awards. In 1996, the Cricket World Cup was hosted in Pakistan, Nighat Chaudhry was chosen to present a cultural festival in all the major cities, she choreographed for a group of 35 dancers where she acted and danced the character Sassi (A folk legend of Sindh) and the legendary Anarkali in a dance ballet which was also televised for Pakistan Television. In 2000, she acted in a long play, "Neeli Dhoop" and a TV serial "Sila". In 2002, she performed in a music video for Sufi Group Junoon. Poetry by Pakistan's renowned poet and philosopher Allama Iqbal, she acted in a serial called ''Ma'' shot in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. In 2003, she acted in a Pakistani feature film, directed by

Ajab Gul Ajab Gul (Pashto: عجب گل) is a Pakistani actor turned film director, producer and music director who has mostly worked in Pashto films. As well as working in Pakistani cinema he has worked in television and theater. Career Ajab Gul has sta ...

called ''Kyon tum se itna pyar hai''.

Nighat Chaudhry Foundation (NCF)

Nighat Chaudhry established her NGO the Nighat Chaudhry Foundation in 2016 and her vision for NCF is to re-connect the people of Pakistan to their cultural identity to their heritage. She wants to establish performing arts as education, to document and preserve our cultural heritage, to prevent the decaying of its presence among us as a society. Her aim and goal of the Nighat Chaudhry Foundation (NCF) is to encourage, empower and create a transformation space for the youth, the women and all the people of Pakistan, a platform to embrace our cultural heritage and performing arts as a means of human development, a healing of our cultural wounds and an evolving of our communities with a connection back into the cultural fabric and cultural roots of Pakistan. It gives her immense pleasure to present the Nighat Chaudhry Foundation to all the people of Pakistan and guide them towards a true ownership of a cultural heritage.

Awards and certificates

References

External links

Nighat Chaodhry WebsiteNighat Chaodhry Official Facebook PageNighat Chaodhry Official Youtube Channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaodhry, Nighat Pakistani female dancers Living people Pakistani television actresses Pakistani artists Punjabi people 1959 births Recipients of the Pride of Performance Kathak exponents