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Chennai based Tapasya, one of the grantees of the India Foundation Arts, Bangalore will document the art and life of the Isai Vellalar community throughout Tamilnadu. Vidya Shankaranarayanan and Indu Varma, the artistic directors of Tapasya, were directly trained by Guru Kittappa Pillai who hails from this community responsible for bringing the tradition of Sadir to us. They plan to show the difference between the Sadir tradition and Bharatanatyam in their planned audio and visual documentation. |
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The Sangeet Natak Akademi is assisting in a special training program for Gotipuas, thus giving life to associations like Konark Nrtya Mandap run by Guru Jai Krishna Nayak who is imparting training to about 10 youngsters in the guru-shishya pattern. The other known guru is Maguni Das in Orissa. |
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A special dance piece called 'Mahalakshmi Udbhavam', taught by only one guru in India, V Rangamani, can be traced back to the ancient temple dances which were performed by devadasis after sprinkling rangoli powder on the floor and forming images of the lion, peacock or lotus with the foot. |
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The Tamil Nadu Kattaikoothu Kalai Valarchi Munnetra Sangam is a NGO established in 1990 by rural Kattaikoothu actors and musicians. Kattaikoothu, also known popularly as THERUKOOTHU is traditional theatre which is performed in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu and adjoining districts of southern Andhra Pradesh. It combines 3 facets of the Tamil language- word (iyal), music (isai) and visual representation (natakam or koothu). The all-night dramatic performances feature episodes from the Mahabaratha and the puranas. The Sangam has almost 200 members now. Innovations have been introduced like inducting women into this theatre discipline (originally exclusively male dominated)and introducing new, contemporary issues based themes to exist alongside the traditional. An Annual Kattaikoothu Festival is held to popularise the art. The Tamil Nadu Kattaikoothu Kalai Valarchi Munnetra Sangam organised the 10th South Indian Theatre Festival in Kanchipuram from March 3-7, 2000. |
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Odissi danseuse Monalisa is trying to promote rural talent of Odissi dance in her dance institution Kalajyoti in Jalpaiguri by training talented local village children who hail from poorer sections of society. Apart from Odissi, the center will also impart elementary education so the students are fully developed individuals. |
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Odissi guru Mayadhar Raut is writing his authentic treatise on male-dancers, dance teachers and costumes. |
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A Rs.6 crore pilot project will be taken up to develop Kuchipudi as an international dance research center with financial assistance from the Union Human Resource Development Ministry, according to Dr. Ramanadham Chinta, principal of the Siddhendra Kalakshetram. Under the 1st phase of the project, Rs.2 crore would be spent to construct a modern auditorium with the latest audio and video equipment at Kuchipudi. A library on Kuchipudi art and all classical dances in the country to help research students working on Kuchipudi and other classical dance forms would also come up. A large dance-training hall, which is under construction at a cost of Rs.50 lakhs, would be completed next year for the new course called Bachelor of Fine Arts that will be started from the next academic year. |
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