2010
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Artist
Gul Bardhan, passed away at Bhopal. The obit from E-Rang theatre journal
sums up her life.
Choreographer
and theatre personality Gul Bardhan, who led the Little Ballet Troupe,
Bhopal, passed away on November 29, 2010. She was 82 years old. A Padma
Shri awardee, Bardhan founded the Ranga Sri Little Ballet Troupe in 1952
along with her husband Shanti Bardhan. Shanti Bardhan pioneered this form
of ballet in India which used human puppets, masks, dance, movement, and
music as part of one performance - a form he inherited from the legendary
Uday Shankar. In 1954, Shanti Bardhan died and Gul Bardhan led the troupe
forward. The group has a repertory of 36 full length ballets and a number
of smaller pieces like Seraikalla Chhau, and Mayurbhanj Chau. India Immortal,
Uttar Priyadarshi, Mahabharata etc include the ballets she had choreographed.
She had edited a book 'Rhythm Incarnate' (published by Abhinav Publications,
New Delhi) profiling Shanti Bardhan, her late husband and Guru. e-Rang
salutes her immense and consistent contribution to Indian theatre. |
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Krishnattam
exponent Krishnankutty Nair passed away on November 26, 2010. |
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Arts
administrator James Murdoch Born died in Bali on October 25, 2010. He was
80.
He was born
on January 25, 1930 in Sydney, Australia. After he moved to Bali, he mentored
many talented musicians and dancers including Ramli Ibrahim and was involved
in documenting the region's musical history. A truly wonderful man, he
is an example to show that non Asians were also huge patrons of Asian
art and dance.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au |
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Renowned
Bharatanatyam Guru Shankar Hombal, founder of Kalapadma in Bhopal, passed
away peacefully on October 20, 2010. He was a Kalakshetra alumni
(1954 to 60). His son Prof. Premchand, also a Kalakshetra graduate, is
HOD Benaras University (Performing Arts department). |
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One
of the foremost exponents of Odissi and mardala and the Founder-Director
of Konark Natya Mandap (in Konark) and Orissa Dance Academy (in Bhubaneswar),
Guru Gangadhar Pradhan passed away on October 11, 2010 at 2.30am in Bhubaneswar.
He was 62. He had been undergoing treatment in Apollo Hospital for a week
after cardiac arrest and slipped into a coma following a brain hemorrhage.
Guru Gangadhar
Pradhan's training began at the age of six at Balunkeswar temple in Puri
District, Orissa to mature as a gotipua dancer. He was trained by Gurus
Banchhanidhi Pradhan, Pt. Chandra Shekhar Pattnaik, Mahadeva Rout and Birabara
Sahoo. He completed his Natya Acharya course in Odissi from Utkal Sangeet
Mahavidyala. He received further training in Odissi under the able guidance
of Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Deba Prasad Das, Dr. Minati Mishra and
Dhirendra Nath Pattnaik. He mastered the delicate nuances and the subtleties
of the Odissi dance form from Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra.
He founded
the Konark Natya Mandap in 1986, with the aim to make Konark a centre to
showcase the rich cultural heritage of Orissa. Guruji has trained hundreds
of Indian and foreign students in Odissi and other regional dance forms.
He received the State Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1993), Central Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award (1998), Padma Shri (2008) and was a visiting faculty
at Cornell University, USA. He was at the helm of Dhauli Festival, Kalinga
Kala Utsav, Odissi Sandhya and his annual Konark Dance and Music Festival
now into its 25th year.
Guru Gangadhar
Pradhan is survived by his wife, 3 daughters and son Shibashish.
Contact: shibu_culture@yahoo.com
Tributes
 Our
Guru Shradha family is saddened with the loss of Guru Gangadhar Pradhan,
such a significant person in the Indian dance community. Our sincerest
condolences and prayers to the family. May his soul rest in peace.
- Niharika
Mohanty (Director), Ratikant Mohapatra (Key Advisor), Sujata Mohapatra
(Artistic Director) and the Guru Shradha Family
(Oct 11, 2010)
The
demise of Guru Gangadhar Pradhan is sad news. He is indeed a loss not only
to the Odissi community but to the entire dance family. Our heartfelt condolence
to the bereaved family from Guru Dr.Vempati Chinna Satyam and the entire
Kuchipudi dance community. As a mark of respect to Guruji, our institutions
Kuchipudi Art Academy, Chennai and Kuchipudi Kalakshetra, Visakhapatnam,
declared a two day holiday from 11th to 12th Oct.
- Venkat Vempati |
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Eminent
theater director and scenographer Mithran Devanesen (born on May 2, 1949)
passed away in Chennai on August 9, 2010 after a battle with lung cancer.
He was 61. Blessed with a positive attitude and a sense of humor, he remained
cheerful and hardworking till his end. His was a life devoted to philanthropy
and the stage. He joined the Madras Players in 1974 and went on to become
one of India's top English Theatre directors and internationally as a dance
lighting designer. He brought theatrical lighting into dance and has lit
the stage for dancers Anita Ratnam, Lakshmi Viswanathan, Sudharani Raghupathy
and Lata Pada to name a few.
"In Mithran's
passing, I have lost a friend and collaborator of more than 20 years. His
humour, love of life and all good things, his fund of jokes and wonderful
sense of visual design enhanced so many of my dance and theatre works from
PURUSH to MA3KA.My condolences to his wife Nanda and his two daughters,
and grandchildren. But most of all, my heart goes out to his remarkable
95 year old mother Mrs. Devanesen who has been a rock of inspiration but
whose greatest sorrow must be to see her son pass on before his time and
before hers."
- Anita Ratnam |
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Veteran
Kathakali actor Kottakkal Sivaraman passed away on July 19, 2010 at his
house in Karalmanna, Kerala, after a brief illness. He was 74. Born on
July 26, 1936 to Njaloor Kunhikrishnan Nair and Karthiyayani, he started
performing Kathakali from when he was 13. He trained under his uncle Guru
Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair at the PSV Natyasangham in Kottakkal. He excelled
in portraying female roles like Damayanti, Sairandhri, Rukmini, Kunti,
Draupadi, Mohini, Urvasi etc. For his expertise, he was awarded the 'Sthree
Ratna' by the Kerala Government. Nalacharitham Nalam Divasam (Fourth
day of Nalacharitham) in 2009 was his last performance and he performed
this along with another legend in Kathakali, Kalamandalam Gopi.
Sivaraman
followed the Kalluvazhi style. He has received numerous awards for his
contributions to the classic art of Kerala with Kendra Sahitya Akademi
Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award and
Kerala Kalamandalam Award being some of them. He is also the first recipient
of Kalaratna Puraskaram awarded by Kerala Kalamandalam. Sivaraman is one
among the rare leading Kathakali artistes to have not taught in any leading
performing art institutions. Filmmaker MR Rajan's documentary on the master
titled 'Nokku' won the national award in 2007. |
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Eminent
theatre personality, director and actor Shyamanand Jalan passed away in
a south Kolkata nursing home on May 24, 2010. He was 79. Jalan is survived
by his wife Chetna Jalan (Padatik Dance Centre) and six children.(padatik@gmail.com)
"I hope he
passed away peacefully. Chetna and all have served him and looked after
him in an exemplary manner. The shock is there of his passing away. There
is a strange feeling of being orphaned - he gave such confidence, affection,
encouragement and we all knew "he is there." He took away our worries.
He loved theatre
and all of us. What a family of theatre world he created and bound us together.
He was like a father figure and more than like an elder brother. He looked
after me during my tenure at Kolkata Rabindra Bharati University and I
always stayed with him and Chetna. I was always welcome and felt his residence
was and is my second home in Kolkata. In this hour of Chetna's, Sachetan's,
Chhotu's and all members of Shyamanand-ji's family, I wish to convey my
deepest condolences.
I am sure
we all will take courage and pray for peace of his soul. He shall always
remain in spirit with us."
- Dr. Sunil
Kothari |
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Chhau
guru Srihari Nayak passed away on May 17, 2010 at his hometown of Baripada,
Orissa. He was 76. A noted Mayurbhanj Chhau dancer and guru, he performed
widely abroad, making Chhau known there. He was a specialist in dances
like Shiva, Sabara Toka and Vishnu. He taught Chhau at the Utkal Sangeet
Mahavidyalaya at Bhubaneswar and later joined Central Sangeet Natak Akademi
(SNA). He was awarded State Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1976-77 and
the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1988. One of his foremost disciples
is Ileana Citaristi. |
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R
Iswaran, husband of legendary Carnatic musician D K Pattammal, passed away
on April 2, 2010. He was 95. |
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Celebrated
Krishnanattam exponent Velayudhan Nair passed away on March 7, 2010.
Initiated at the age of seven, his debut was as Krishna of 'Avataram' when
he was hardly eight. After his last role as Udhavar in August 1992, Velayudhan
Nair retired from the service of the Guruvayur temple in Sept 1992, after
53 years. He has received awards like Nritya Natya Puraskar (2007), the
award instituted by the Government of Kerala to honour veteran gurus for
their contributions to dance forms of Kerala, Thulasi Puraskar of the Madhya
Pradesh Government (1995), Manaveda Suvarna Mudra of Guruvayur (1991),
and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Kerala, 1985). |
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Ram Niwas
Mirdha, Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi, passed away at Gangaram Lohia
Hospital in New Delhi around noon on January 29, 2010. He was 87. The annual
meeting of the general council of the SNA which meets to decide on the
AKADEMI PURASKAR, the culture awards, was immediately stopped and postponed
to another date to mark the passing of the nodal cultural organisation's
dynamic Chairman.
https://narthaki.com
/info/profiles/profl116.html |
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