GRACEFUL: Danseuse Madhavi Mudgal is all set to perform at Kamani Auditorium this coming Monday.

NEW DELHI: The Lady Irwin School Alumni Association is organising a fund-raising event in the form of a dance recital by Madhavi Mudgal, a well-known Odissi exponent, at Kamani Auditorium on Copernicus Marg here this coming Monday.

Established in 1927 under the leadership of S.R. Das, Law Member of the Viceroy's Executive Council, Lady Irwin School met the educational needs of the daughters of a large number of government employees who shifted to New Delhi from the former national capital Calcutta.

In fact, in the initial years, the school used to shift to Shimla in the summer months along with the rest of the British Raj.

The present senior school building was constructed in 1938 at Canning Lane, later renamed Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Marg. Located in the Lutyens' bungalow zone, the structure is a heritage building, As the old school students did not have any forum apart from the Saraswati Pooja at which they would get together, some of them gathered last year and decided to form an association. Their primary aim was to work together for the benefit of their school and encourage camaraderie among Irwinites. The Lady Irwin SchoolAlumni Association was thus formed as a registered body. Born into a family of musicians, Madhavi initially studied Bharatanatyam and Kathak styles under eminent gurus. She finally chose Odissi as her medium of expression. An alumnus of the school, she trained first under Guru Hare Krishna Behera and later under maestro Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, who has contributed immensely to the revival of this dance form. Known for her perfection in stagecraft and presentation, Madhavi has contributed to her chosen art form a distinctive and unique flavour. She has received numerous awards and honours including the Padma Shri and Sanskriti Award.