A leading exponent of Kathak dance, Uma Sharma has a distinct place in the field of Indian classical dance. Born in 1942 in Delhi, she was initiated in Kathak by Guru Hiralalji and Girvar Dayal of the Jaipur gharana, and was later a student of Pandit Sunder Orasad, Shambhu Maharaj and Birju Maharaj. She has performed extensively at home and abroad, and has striven to sustain the tradition of bhava in Kathak. She has also enriched Kathak with elements of the traditional Rasleela of Brindaban and broadened its textual content using contemporary Hindi-Urdu poetry. Collaborating with musicians and composers like naina Devi, Pannalal Kathak and Shiva Prasad who had a deep understanding of Kathak, she has created a large number of delectable compositions enriching the repertoire of Kathak.

Uma Sharma is the founder of Bharatiya Sangeet Sadan, Delhi, a classical dance and music school. She has received several honours including the Padma Shri, the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Kathak (1987).                                      

A leading exponent of Kathak dance, Uma Sharma has a distinct place in the field of Indian classical dance. Born in 1942 in Delhi, she was initiated in Kathak by Guru Hiralalji and Girvar Dayal of the Jaipur gharana, and was later a student of Pandit Sunder Orasad, Shambhu Maharaj and Birju Maharaj. She has performed extensively at home and abroad, and has striven to sustain the tradition of bhava in Kathak. She has also enriched Kathak with elements of the traditional Rasleela of Brindaban and broadened its textual content using contemporary Hindi-Urdu poetry. Collaborating with musicians and composers like naina Devi, Pannalal Kathak and Shiva Prasad who had a deep understanding of Kathak, she has created a large number of delectable compositions enriching the repertoire of Kathak.

Uma Sharma is the founder of Bharatiya Sangeet Sadan, Delhi, a classical dance and music school. She has received several honours including the Padma Shri, the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Kathak (1987).