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T. BALASARASWATI
T.Balasaraswati (1918-1984) was born in a family that has
been a repository of the Carnatic tradition of music. Her formal
training started at the age of four under the late Guru Kandappa
Pillai. Balasaraswati's debut took place in her seventh year at
Kancheepuram at the Amanakshi Amman temple. Soon she was in
great demand for public performances. No dancer captured the
public imagination as Balasaraswati did in the thirties and
forties. Balasaraswati made the public aware of Bharata Natyam
by the beauty and the eloquence of her dancing. She is the
recipient of several honours and awards, which include the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Padma Bhushan and an honorary
doctorate from the Rabindra Bharati University.
BIRJU MAHARAJ
Pandit Birju Maharaj
(b.1937) is perhaps the foremost exponent of the country's
Kathak dancers belonging to the Lucknow gharana. Son of
well-known Kathak dancer Achchan Maharaj and nephew and student
of Shambhu Maharaj, Birju Maharaj made his mark in the arena
when he received the coveted Sangeet Natak Akademi award at the
age of 28. He has mastered the various nuances of Kathak from
Acchan Maharaj, Lacchu Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj and developed
his own unique style. In his own words, Birju Maharaj has
likened Lacchu Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj to the moon and the
sun, and Acchan Maharaj to the sky. Combined they form his
universe of Kathak. He has several honours and awards to his
credit including the prestigious Padma Vibhushan (1986) by the
government of India and the Sangam Kala Award (2000). At present
Birju Maharaj heads the teaching faculty at Delhi's Kathak
Kendra.
INDRANI REHMAN
One
of the greatest dancers of our time, Indrani Rehman was among
the luminous names of the sixties and seventies who carried the
glory of Indian classical arts to all corners of the world,
through her varied performances imbued with grace of body and
spirit, and her mastery over several dance forms. Having settled
in the United States, Indrani Rehman had become a distant legend
for dance enthusiasts in India, though she continued to work
actively in the USA. Indrani Rehman helped in the revival and
popularization of Odissi dance. She was awarded Padma Shri in
1969 and Sahitya Kala Parishad award in 1973.
NARASIMHACHARI & VASANTHA LAKSHMI
Narasimhachari
made his debut in Kuchipudi at the tender age of five under the
rigorous training of his father Sri Satyanarayanachari. He
performed the Burra Katha (a ballad form in Telugu) along with
his younger sister and brother. The trio very soon became the
most popular group in Andhra Pradesh, so much so that they had
the honour of performing for the then President of India, Dr.
Rajendra Prasad. Narasimhachari was trained in Bharatanatyam
under the expert tutelage of Rukmini Devi at the Kalakshetra.
Narasimhachari is a rare combination of a music composer,
choreographer, singer, nattuvanar, mridangam player, concert
musician, dancer and a highly respected Guru. His wife
Vasanthalakshmi specialised in nattuvangam and also contributes
the lyrics for their compositions. The Narasimhacharis have
produced as many as 21dance-dramas. Natyaveda, one such
endeavour, had for its theme the exploration of the Vedic
origins of dance as expounded in the Natya Shastra of Bharata.
They were on the faculty of the University of Central Oklahoma
(UCO) from the year 1995-1998. Narasimhachari choreographed a
special programme titled "Jugal Bandhi" presenting three major
classical dance styles of South India – Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi
and Mohiniattam. Of the several dance-dramas choreographed by
them, mention may be made of Kambaramayanam, Sivaleela, Saranam
Aiyappa, Megha, Sandesa, Girija Kalyanam, Annamacharya,
Nrityankita, Bharati Kannamma , Panchatantra, Voice of Ganga,
Jesus Christ, Natya Veda and Challenge of Growth.
MALLIKA SARABHAI
Daughter of the dancing
legend Mrinalini Sarabhai and the legendary scientist Vikram
Sarabhai, Mallika Sarabhai is a renowned exponent of Bharata
Natyam and Kuchipudi and an internationally known choreographer,
who has to her credit compositions like Draupadi, Shakti - The
Powar of Woman, Sita's Daughters, Itan Kahani, Aspiration,
Ganga, Surya, Mean Streets on Earth and "V for". She played the
role of Draupadi in Peter Brooke's film Mahabharata, which was
made in English and French. She has been an anchor on television
for several programmes like Turning Point, Eye Witness and Show
Reeland Kaleidoscope. She made an earlier unsuccessful attempt
at acting in Hindi and Gujarati films. Later she directed many
educational films on several general subjects. She is currently
the co-director of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts at
Ahmedabad.
PROTIMA GOWRI (BEDI)
Protima Bedi was an accomplished Odissi dancer and an
actress. In 1990 she founded Nrityagram, India’s first and only
dance village set up exclusively for the preservation of the
seven classical Indian dance styles and two martial art forms of
India.
SANJUKTA PANIGRAHI
Noted Odissi danseuse died on 24 June 1997 at the age of 53.
Born in a respectable and orthodox family, Sanjukhta was the
first Oriya girl to embrace this classical dance at an early age
and ensure its grand revival. She started performing Odissi at
the age of six under the guidance of Guru Padma Bhusan Kelu
Charan Mahapatra and bagged the first prize in the International
Children's Film Festival in 1952. Panigrahi resurrected Odissi
dance from obscurity and made it famous the world over. She was
the first woman artiste to be allowed to perform in the
Shankatmochan temple festival some years ago. She also founded
the Kalinga Kalakshetra to impart training in Odissi dance and
promote performing arts. Sanjukta was the first ever artiste who
choreographed and performed the non-traditional lyric within the
limits of the Odissi style and her experiment with the Surdas
Padmavalli, Tagore songs, Bhagwad Geeta and Tulsi Ramayan were
highly successful. Being the exponent of both Bharatnatyam and
Odissi, she took great interest and initiative in explaining the
originality of the Odissi style and established it as an
independent style of Indian classical dance. She was awarded
Padma Shri in 1975.
SITARA DEVI
Sitara Devi is a living legend known the world over as the
'Kathak Queen'. She took her training in dance from her father
Sukhdev Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj and Acchan Maharaj. By the age
of ten, Sitara was on stage as a professional solo dancer. When
she was about 12, Niranjan Sharma, a film producer and dance
director chose her for a three-month contract in Usha Haran and
Sitara became a dancer with the Sagar Studios. Fame followed
close behind and Allehlal, Nagina and Roti made her a movie
sensation; Vatan made her a superstar. Sitara Devi was honoured
with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1970.
SONAL MANSINGH
Sonal Mansingh has been on stage
since 1964. Her role as a social activist, thinker, researcher,
orator, choreographer and teacher combines admirably with her
dancing. She founded the Centre for Indian Classical Dances
(CICD) in 1977 in Delhi and has trained many young men and
women, some of who have earned critical acclaim already. A
leading exponent of Odissi, with a background of decades of
training in Bharata Natyam, Chhau and Indian music, she has made
original choreographic works based on Indian mythology as well
as contemporary issues. She is a recipient of several honours
and awards which include Singar Mani from Haridas Sangeet
Sammelan, Mumbai (1967), Medal of Friendship Vietnam (1983),
Natya Kala Ratna from National Cultural Organization (1985),
Nrityakala Kaumudi Kala Priya, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh (1986),
Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award (1991), Padma Bhusan (1992),
Indira Priya Darshini Award (1994) and the Medal of Friendship
Cuba State Council (1995). She has widely traveled all over
India and the world and participated in numerous festivals.
Sonal Mansingh's renowned choreographic works include,
Indradhanush (1999), Manavatta (1998), Sabras (Odissi Danced on
Hindi film songs), Samanavaya (integration of India's Tribal,
Urban, Classical, folk dance), Panch-Kanya, Devi Durga,
Aatmayan, Mera Bharat, Dharma - Sringaara, Chaturang and
Draupadi.
UDAY SHANKAR
Uday
Shankar (1900-1977) is one of the most renowned dancers and
choreographers of India, who brought the Indian dance to
international attention. Born in Udaipur, Shankar formed his own
company in 1929 and toured until 1938. While in London at the
Royal College of Art, he choreographed two Indian ballets,
Krishna and Radha and A Hindu Wedding. He formed a troupe of
‘Hindu dancers’ from among his family and friends and in March
1931 at the Theatre Champs-Elysées in Paris, he presented
Tandava Nritya. In 1939 he set up the Uday Shankar India Culture
Center at Almore, with a galaxy of great Gurus like Shankaran
Namburi in Kathakali, Kandappal Pillai in Bharatnatyam, Amobi
Sing in Manipuri dance and Allauddin Khan in classical music. He
was a man of superb showmanship and perfectionism. By the sheer
impact of his physical presence on stage he transformed the
traditional forms into the most memorable works. He is widely
accepted as the Father of Modern Dance in India. Some of Uday
Shankar's famous works include the innovative ballet, 'Labour
and Machinery' and a path breaking film, 'Kalpana,' on the theme
of dance.
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