A Kathak dancer, Rudra feels hard work, practice, and dedication towards your guru are a must to become a good artist. He has performed all over the world and is also working with the GOI to promote the art form.

Rudra Shankar Mishra is a Kathak dancer. He is from the Banaras gharana, was trained by his father and uncle, and wishes to carry on the legacy of his forefathers.

Rudra hails from Varanasi.

Recalling his childhood, Rudra says his whole family is involved in this field, and he grew up in a place where he was used to listening to music all day long and seeing his father's performances in the programs. When he was two years old, he even performed with his father in Switzerland. He is a B.Com graduate. After that, he did his post-graduation in the field of Kathak, and he is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Kathak from Banaras Hindu University. He also wanted to pursue CA and qualified for the first stage, but he believes his destiny led him to Kathak as a professional career, and he had been interested in Kathak since childhood.

Speaking about his mistakes, Rudra says that sometimes, in his overconfidence, he made a few mistakes while performing. His father and uncle also advised him to practice a lot, even if he was getting a lot of praise. He did not practice Kathak for an entire two years and tried to pursue a different path, which is CA, but was not able to qualify for it. After that, he completely diverted his attention towards  Kathak.

In his spare time, he likes to compose and watch dance videos by different artists. He also enjoys singing and listening to music of all genres. As a researcher, he reads books on classical arts.

Rudra’s success mantra is that practicing correctly will make a person perfect.

To all aspiring artists, Rudra advises pursuing this art form as a passion for a lifetime rather than calculating the years that are needed to master it. Purity of heart and faith in the guidance of your guru are prerequisites for truly learning this art form.