LAKSHMI GOPALASWAMY - INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCER

Lakshmi Gopalaswamy is a South Indian film actress and a classical dancer, qualified in Bharatanatyam. She has acted in several Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil films. She had also acted in some TV serials. Her debut Malayalam film Arayannangalude Veedu alongside Mammootty won her the Kerala State Film Award for the best supporting actress.She was a judge on Asianet's dance show Vodafone Thakadhimi.

Lakshmi Gopalaswamy was born in a Kannada family in Bangalore, Karnataka to M.K Gopalaswamy and Dr.Uma Gopalaswamy.She has a younger brother, Arjun. Her Mother is a Scholar of music who prompted Lakshmi to learn and take career in Bharatanatyam.

In 2007, Lakshmi again received the Kerala State Film Award for the second best actress for her performances in Thaniye directed by debutant film director Babu Thiruvalla and Paradesi directed by P. T. Kunju Mohammed. For the same films, she also received the "Atlas Film Critics Award" for the best woman actor.

In 2010, she secured a dream role in Aptharakshaka directed by P. Vasu, opposite South Super Star Dr.Vishnuvardhan, an Indian star of 220 movies in five different languages. In this Kannada film, her splendid performance as a dancer possessed by an evil spirit has been praised by critics and the film going public as well.The film went on to become a mega hit that run for 35 continuous weeks in the theatres and it was the last Kannada film of the super star. She has also acted in films like Vishnu Sena and Namyajamanru with the late star. Talking about the success of the film, Lakshmi in a recent interview said "I am satisfied with the kind of response I am getting from the audience for my performance in it. I had a desire to act with Vishnuji again and that is fulfilled with this movie."

She acted in the Tamil serial titled Lakshmi and has won much praise.

The acceptance in Malayalam cinema that Lakshmi has received from the audience has made her feel much obliged to Malayalam filmgoers. Her success has also got her offers from her home ground, Kannada film industry, too. Her debut Malayalam film Arayannangalude Veedu got her the Kerala State Award for the best supporting actress. Her second film Kochu Kochu Santhosangal too brought in much acclaim for her acting. Acting afforded her a different kind of exposure. "Initially I was intimidated by the profession, I was too shy to be famous," but soon felt at home.

She says dance will always remain her fave metier; she loves playing good roles in films, like those that integrates semi-classical dance tracks, like Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal, in which two classical dance numbers became catchy tunes all over Kerala. Her star status in film firmament notwithstanding, she dreams of metamorphosing into a top-notch dancer.

Lakshmi Gopalaswamy is a serious student of Bharathanatyam and a dancer of repute. She has been performing since the age of 12, experiencing the inherent satisfaction that takes her through the fascinating journey that art unfolds to devoted seekers. Endowed with classical features, she has grace and a naturalness that complements her attractive personality, beautiful face and expressive eyes to this art form.

Awards

Kerala State Film Awards:

2000:Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress – Arayannangalude Veedu

2007: Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress – Thainye

Filmfare Awards South

2007 : Best Supporting Actress – Paradeshi

Asianet Film Awards

2001 - Best Newface award - Arayannangalude Veedu

Kerala Film Critic Awards

2007 : Best Actress - Thainye

NAMRATA RAI - INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCER

Namrta Rai (Hindi: नम्रता राय) (born November 27, 1984) is an Indian classical Kathak dancer and choreographer. She is a disciple of Late Dr. Madhukar Anand and Pt.Udai Mazumdar

Born in Dehradun, Namrta started receiving her training into Kathak at a very tender age under the tutelage of Late Dr. Madhukar Anand, of Lucknow Gharana, in the Vedic system of receiving knowledge called guru-shishya parampara. A science graduate (PCM) from D.A.V(PG) College, Dehradun also owns bachelor’s degree from Bhatkhande Sangit Vidhyapith, Lucknow and Master’s degree from Indira Kala Sangeet University, Khairagarh, Madhya Pradesh in the form of Lucknow Gharana, of which the Doyen is Padma Vibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj.

Namrta has performed in various prestigious festivals around the globe. She has performed for the International dance festival Ascona (Switzerland), The Ravi Shankar Centre (94th Birth Anniversary) New Delhi, Modhera dance festival Gujarat, National Divali Manifestatie South-America, CulturAll Switzerland,Sufiyana Kathak with Ustad Shafquat Ali Khan, 550 years celebration of Basel University Switzerland, Maha Kumbh Haridwar, Uttarayani Mohotsava Bageshwar, a theatrical dance ballet 'Geet-Govind' for Indian National Television, World Dance Day Suriname, Musica Dei Popoli Italy, 13th International Dance festival Ascona Switzerland, Soulful Sufi Rome and many more noteworthy festivals in Austria, The Netherlands, Germany and France. Namrta is an empanelled artist and teacher of Indian council for cultural relations (ICCR), New Delhi. She regularly tours for SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth) all over India. She has also imparted her knowledge at the Welham Girls' School, a traditional boarding school for girls located at the foothills of the Himalayas in Dehradun, India. Namrta was deputed as Kathak dance teacher cum performer by ICCR at Indian Cultural Centre in Suriname, South-America. She has choreographed many dance performances for stage, television, also for the Indian National television Doordarshan & National carnival in St. Lucia.

She is youngest daughter of Shri S. K. Rai, a retired English lecturer at D.A.V College, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. She has an elder brother Sumit Rai, and two elder sisters Nidhi Rai and Neha Rai. Her mother is a homemaker.

VINEETH - INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCER

Vineeth (born on 23 August 1969) is an Indian film actor and classical dancer known for his works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and Tamil cinema. He was also starred in few Telugu, Kannada and Bollywood films.

Vineeth is the nephew of the famous Travancore sisters. Of them, apparently, Padmini and Ragini imposed on his parents to send him to dancing school. Vineeth is also a cousin of the film actress Shobhana, Krishna and relative of actress Sukumari and Ambika Sukumaran.

He caught the public eye by winning several prizes in the Bharatanatyam dance form while studying in school including winning the first prize at the Kerala State Youth festival for four years in a row and winning the top prize of 'Kalaprathibha'.

Vineeth entered the film industry with the I. V. Sasi film Edanilagal in 1985. It was, however, with his second film Nakhakshathangal in 1986 that he caught the public eye in films. His dancing skills were prominently displayed in several films as well.

He has acted in several well received films, since, in all the South Indian languages. In spite of his success in films, he still considers dance as his first love and is undergoing advanced training in Bharatanatyam and participates in several dance programs all over the world as well as the Surya Dance Festival.

He is born to K. T. Radhakrishnan and Dr P. K. Shanthakumari on August 23, 1969 at Thalassery, Kannur. He has a sister, Dr Kavitha Dinesh.

Vineeth married Priscilla Menon and lives in Chennai . They have a daughter named Avanthi Vineeth.

Filmography

Year Film Role Language Notes

1985 Idanilangal

Kunjumon Malayalam

1986 Pranamam

Malayalam

1986 Nakhakshathangal

Ramu Malayalam

1986 Oridathu

Josekutty Malayalam

1986 Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal

Antony Malayalam

ANIRUDDHA KNIGHT - INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCER

Aniruddha Knight (November 13, 1980) is an artist of South Asian classical dance and music known as Bharatanatyam. He is a 9th-generation descendant of a 200-year old family of dancers and musicians from southern India.The dances are traditionally performed by women - Knight is unusually the first male of his family to take up this style of dance.His grandmother Balasaraswati was a celebrated and prolific dancer, Newsweek said she has been "recognized as the greatest Indian dancer of all time".

Born on November 13, 1980, Aniruddha Knight spent his growing years both in India and the United States of America.His father is an American, Douglas Knight, who married into the family when he studied classical drumming on a South Indian mridangam at Wesleyan University, where Aniruddha's late grandmother T. Balasaraswati and her two musician brothers had taught since 1962. Aniruddha's childhood was an endless round of dancing. Initiated into the family's style of art by an aging Balasaraswati, Aniruddha's first formal lessons began at the age of six with mother Lakshmi, Balasaraswati's daughter.

Half American by birth, Aniruddha is fluent in Tamil having attended school in both countries. Home schooled on occasion, he went on to pursue his Bachelors in International Relations from Seton Hall University in the year 2004

Aniruddha Knight is the artistic director of Bala Music & Dance, a school of dancing in Middletown.[citation needed] His debut performance at the Jacob Pillow Festival (1997) in Massachusetts, began his career in the arts. He was featured in Newsweek magazine as one of 16 youngsters poised to re-shape India's future.

In 2008, he was chosen for the National Dance Project Grant, which recognized Bharatanatyam as a mainstream contemporary art form in the U.S. and covered a four-month tour across the United States.

In January 2012, Aniruddha founded the Balasaraswati Scripps Foundation in Chennai, India. Established as an offshoot of the Balasaraswati Performing Arts Centre, supported by the Samuel Scripps Foundation, it houses Louise Scripps’ collection of books, papers, articles and photographs on the history of dance as well as the Dhanammal school, which remains open to researchers.

Grants & Awards

Aniruddha Knight has been the recipient of several grants from the US government.

• New Jersey Council for the Arts 1997, 1999

• Asian Cultural Council - 1997, 2007

• The LEF Foundation- 2004, 2008

• National Endowment for the Arts 2005

• NEFA’s National Dance Project grant 2008

• New England Foundation for Arts 2011

JOYCE K. PAUL - INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCER

Joyce K. Paul is an Indian classical dancer and exercise physiologist. Classically trained in Bharat Natyam, she has also trained briefly in Mohiniattam, the classical dance of Kerala. Paul had her initial dance training under the Bharatanatyam guru, Leela Samson. She is the founder and the Artistic Director of Arpan set up in 2003 in Redmond, WA

Paul received her dance training under Bharatanatyam guru, Leela Samson, Prof. J.Janardhanan and Prof C. V. Chandrashekaran at Kalakshetra.

She started her college education with an Honours degree in Zoology with specialization in Reproductive Biology while Masters saw her move on to studying the evolution of man in time and space. She completed her Ph.D in Exercise Physiology from the Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi. During her Ph.D she published papers on 'Dance Related Injuries Among Bharatnatyam'  and also on 'Pattern of Subcutaneous Fat Distribution, Its Variation with Age Among Young Rajput Females of Pauri Garhwal, India

Paul spent about 15 years of her corporate career working for NIIT India Ltd and Microsoft Corporation as an Instructional Designer, Content Publisher, User Researcher and Business Intelligence Analyst

She started her teaching career by teaching private Bharatanatyam classes as early as 1990 with the blessings of her Guru (Padmashri) Leela Samson. She taught classes to corporate clients during the years 1996 to 1998 doing seminars on communication using dance as a body language. She has also assisted teaching (Bharatanatyam classes) at Kalashram Trust, New Delhi, founded and directed by Kathak exponent Pandit Birju Maharaj.

After moving to Redmond, WA to join Microsoft in 2001, she founded her own dance company Arpan.

Paul has performed extensively over the last 17 years. In 2003, she performed in "Dance to the Music" at Town Hall, In 2004 and 2007, she performed at Utsav and she also performed for Seattle's Partners in Preservation Initiative

Choreographies

• Kalaprayanam (2005) previewed at Northwest FolkLife Festival, Seattle, WA

• LayaSamvaad (2009) opened at Ehsaas 2009 

• Kalaprayanam (2007) at Ehsaas 2007 

• Tillana in ragam Maand first performed at Town Hall (March 2003) for Dance to the Music series.

• Kaikottikali, Himachali folk dances, Dandiya, Garbha and other folk dances of India.

DEEPA SASHINDRAN - INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCER

Deepa Sashindran (Malayalam: ദീപ ശശീന്ദ്രൻ; born 3 July 1974), prime disciple of Kuchipudi exponent Smt. Manju Bhargavi, is an Indian dancer, teacher of Indian classical dance form Kuchipudi, art motivator and entrepreneur.

Deepa stepped initially into classical dance form of Bharatanatyam at the age of 5 under renowned Gurus Kalamandalam Usha Datar and Dr.Savithri Ramaiah and then started learning from age of 8 kuchipudi form of dance under the renowned Kuchipudi exponent Smt. Manju Bhargavi for a period of three decades and currently being trained by Guru Vempati Ravi Shankar.

Innumerable solo performances came her way both in India & Abroad as well as essayed lead roles in dance dramas and was also the co-artist of her Guru and performed alongside on many prestigious festivals & occasions. Karnataka Govt Kuchipudi Text book committee has incorporated her dance pictures in the Kuchipudi text book of the state. She was invited to the First International Kuchipudi dance conference of North America held at Houston- Texas organised by Samskriti and was part of the delegation for paper presentation and rendered solo performances.

She is the founder of Kuchipudi Parampara Foundation for imparting training and propagation of Kuchipudi art form in Bangalore with accomplished advisors as part of the committee, recently the foundation has extended its services in conducting master classes at Swathi Thirunal Academy in Calicut headed by Sri Kaithpram Damodaran Namboothri, as an Independent tutor, her services has been utilised by many veteran artists of Bangalore. She is also involved in bringing out innovative dance festivals, workshops, which are most look forward events in Bangalore.

She was conferred with many titles and awards such as the Best Kuchipudi Artiste of Karnataka from Yuvaranga, Nritya Shiromani National Award at Cuttack and Sathyabhama Award by Kuchipudi danseuse Padmasri -Sobha Naidu at Vishakapatnam. In 1995 she was accredited artist of Doordarshan .

Apart from Dance, she is a Law Graduate with PGD in Industrial Relations and Personal Management, Human Resources Specialist in Software industry and currently an Entrepreneur in Human Capital Management Services and owns the company Karma Kreators.

Awards and Credentials

• Best Kuchipudi Artiste Yuva Ranga

• Nritya Shiromani National Award

• Sathyabhama Excellence Award

• Nrithya Vilasini

ADITI MANGALDAS - INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCER

Aditi Mangaldas (born 1960) is a renowned Kathak dancer and choreographer, who works with the traditional repertoire of Kathak. A former student of both Kumudini Lakhia and Birju Maharaj, she remained one of the principal dancers in latter's troupe for several years, before starting her own dance institution in Delhi, the Drishtikon Dance Foundation, where she is the artistic director and principal dancer.

Born in 1960, Aditi Mangaldas was brought up in Ahmedabad, where she also did her Bachelor of Science from St. Xavier’s College.

She started training in Kathak dance under Kumudini Lakhia at Kadamb Centre for Dance in Ahmedabad at a young age. Later at the advice of her aunt Pupul Jayakar, she moved to Delhi to explore dance avenues in the city. Here she became a student of Birju Maharaj at Kathak Kendra, Delhi. After completing her dance training, she travelled to many part of the world as a part of Birju Maharaj's troupe

She has given Kathak performances in major dance festivals in India and has been featured in the Festivals of India in UK, US, and the Soviet unions.

Besides directing solo items, Aditi Mangaldas has also choreographed a number of group ensembles that have been an arresting blend of traditional and contemporary styles. Over the past years she has produced several choreographic works including Cheekh, Swagat Vistar, The Sound of the universe, Vrindakriti to name a few. She has also conducted several workshops and presented papers at dance seminars.

In 2005, the Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company with a troupe of six dancers and three musicians made its US debut at the Asia Society with "Footprints on Water." 

KALAMANDALAM KSHEMAVATHY - INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCER

Kalamandalam Kshemavathy (born 1948) is a renowned Mohiniyattam dancer from Thrissur, Kerala. She is an alumna of the reputed Kerala Kalamandalam. She joined the institute when she was ten. After completion of the course, she undertook advanced training in Bharata Natyam under Muthuswami Pillai and Chitra Visweswaran, and in Kuchipudi under Vempati Chinna Satyam, but chose to remain within the Mohiniyattam tradition. She has been in the field for 47 years.

She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2011 for her contributions to Mohinyattam. She has also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and Nrithya Natya Puraskara.

Kshemavathy is known for her abhinaya and traditionalist approach to the art form. She encourages research and believes that experimentation is inevitable, but must be explored leaving the basics of the art form untarnished. Her dance school has attracted international talents from Germany, France, Sweden and Finland in the past. She continues to be noticed.

She has done a lot of innovative choreographies. She has given a visual representation for about 100 poems, including those of cherrusseri and sugathakumari, "kuchelavrittam", classics like chinthavishtayaya seetha, leela etc., and even ghazals. She is a teacher with a large number of students

Kshemavathy is the wife of well known film director late V.K Pavithran. She has two daughters, Eva Pavithran and Lakshmi Pavithran.

Kshemavathy was just 29 when she received Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award for Bharatanatyam. The Kalamandalam Award for Mohiniattam came in 1993 and Kendriya Nataka Academy Award in 1999. Kerala State Government gave her the Nritya Natya Puraskar in 2008. She served the State Sangeetha Nataka Academy as an executive member for six years; remained as a member of the Panel of Judges, ICCR. A senior Fellowship from the Ministry of Human Resource enabled her to produce a research work of great value to the students of Mohiniattam. 

It is her famous students Krishna Kumar, Dr Neena Prasad, Aparna Marar, Vineetha Nedungadi et all, who carry on her legacy. Students keep coming in search of her, live in her house and learn in Gurukula tradition. 

MALLIKA SARABHAI - INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCER

Mallika Sarabhai (born 9 May 1954) is an activist and Indian classical dancer from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Daughter of a classical dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai and renowned space scientist Vikram Sarabhai, Mallika is an accomplished Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer.

Daksh Mallika Sarabhai was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India to Vikram Sarabhai and Mrinalini Sarabhai. She completed her MBA from IIM Ahmedabad in 1974 and Doctorate in Organisational Behaviour from the Gujarat University in 1976. She is a noted choreographer and dancer and has also acted in a few Hindi and Gujarati films.

She started to learn dancing when she was young, and started her film career in parallel cinema, when she was 15. Mallika played the role of Draupadi in the Peter Brook's play The Mahabharata. Mallika has won many accolades during her long career, the Golden Star Award being one of them, which she won for the Best Dance Soloist, Theatre De Champs Elysees, Paris 1977. As well as a dancer, Sarabhai is a social activist. She, along with her mother, manages the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts located at Ahmedabad.

Awards & Achievements

She won the Best Film Actress Award for, ‘Mena Gurjari’, a Gujarati film, by the Government
of Gujarat in 1975.  

She was bestowed with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Creative Dance, in 2000. 

The Indian Merchants' Chamber (IMC) named her the Woman of the Year in 2003.  

She became the proud recipient of the Theatre Pasta Theatre Award in 2007. 

She was honored by the Government of India with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest
civilian award in India, in 2010 in recognition of her invaluable contribution to the arts.

SUMMARY

Indian classical dance is an umbrella term for various codified art forms rooted in sacred Hindu musical theatre styles whose theory can be traced back to the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni (400 BCE).

Indian classical dances are performed inside the sanctum of the temple according to the rituals called Agama Nartanam. Natya Shastra classifies this type of dance form as margi, or a soul-liberating dance. Dances performed in royal courts to the accompaniment of classical music are called Carnatakam. A Hindu deity is considered a revered royal guest in his temple, and should be offered all of the "sixteen hospitalities", among which are music and dance. The "sixteen hospitalities" please the senses.

The term "classical" (Sanskrit: "Shastriya") was introduced by Sangeet Natak Akademi to denote the Natya Shastra-based performing art styles. Classical dance performances usually feature a story about good and evil. The dance is traditionally presented in a dramatic manner called nritta, which uses "clean" facial expressions and mudrā, or hand gestures, to narrate the story and to demonstrate concepts such as particular objects, weather, aspects of nature and emotions. Classical Indian dance is also known as Natya. Natya includes singing and abhinaya (mime acting). These features are common to all Indian classical styles of dance. In the margi form, Nritta is composed of karanas, while Desi nritta consists mainly of adavus.

The Natya Shastra, written by Bharata Muni, does not mention the name of any classical dance forms recognised today, but listed the four Pravrittis as Dakshinatya, Audramagadhi, Avanti and Panchali.

Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Mohiniyattam evolved from the Pravritti form called Dakshinatya.

Audramagadhi represents the regional dance of Audramagadha, comprising the territories of Anga, Banga, the northern part of Kalinga and Vatsa (Sloka is angabangautkalingavatsachaiva audramagadha). This led to the evolution of Odissi in Odisha, Satriya in Assam and Gaudiya Nritya in Bengal. Little is known about the two other forms described by Bharata Muni, Avanti and Panchali.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi has given recognition to eight Indian dance styles. The Akademi holds a Natya Sangam (festival of dance) during which dancers from other classical forms are invited to perform. Sources differ on the listing of Indian classical dance forms. Encyclopædia Britannica mentions six recognised schools. The Indian government's Ministry of Culture has increased the number of dance forms that it accepts as part of Indian classical dance repertory and provides scholarships to young performers for the study of "Indian Classical Dance/Dance Music."

We shall be blogging here about the great personalities and insight about the lives of 'The Indian Classical Dancers', who have contributed to the main stream of Indian Classical Dances.