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The
dramas of Sankardeva and his chief disciple Madhavdeva and their successors,
are known popularly as 'ankiya-nat'. The dance and music were interspersed
by short dialogues and explanatory matter by a sutradhar from time to time. |
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The
two vital limbs of Odissi are Bandha Nritya and Sabda Nritya. Sabda Nritya
is greatly influenced by Sakta and Saivite culture and is based on the
tandava aspect of Odissi. In this dance, Sanskrit slokas pertaining to
the heroic aspect of the deity is recited rhythmically by drummers who
then beat this rhythmic pattern on the mardala. The strenuousness
of the dance often causes the dancer to go into a trance. |
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In
the little village of Kuchipudi on the banks of the river Krishna in Andhra
Pradesh, generations of gurus from about 100 Brahmin families have kept
alive Kuchipudi dance by teaching it to their children. |
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Kuchipudi
village is unique because it is one of the only geographical locations
that has given its name to a dance form. |
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Kathakali
artiste Sadanam Balakrishnan used to undergo Kathakali training from 3am
to 9pm. His guru Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair who stayed next door, would sometimes
wake him up for exchanges that continued until midnight. |
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Vidya
Chandrasekar, daughter of Sudha Chandrasekar of Nritya Sudha's Hindu Temple
Rhythms, is the internationally renowned holder of the 72-hour world record
for continuous performance of Bharatanatyam, which was done in aid of the
American Heart Association and the Bharatiya Temple in 1996. This feat
followed an earlier 48-hour record in aid of the American Cancer Society
in 1989. |
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The
Theater Department in the University of Rome has produced a documentary
on veteran Bharatanatyam dancer M K Saroja. A three-hour film on Bharatanatyam
by Film Montsouris, France features her dance. |
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Though
Uday Shankar did not know any classical dances, he choreographed Radha
and Krishna for Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, playing Krishna to Pavlova's
Radha. It premiered on 10th September 1923 at Covent Garden in London. |
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The
film 'Kalpana' made by Uday Shankar was financed by Baronet Sir Chinubhai
who advanced him Rs.11 lakhs. But the film when completed after 3 years
cost Uday Shankar Rs.22 lakhs and was released on February 13, 1948.
It is the only record of his choreography. |
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Uday
Shankar started the Uday Shankar Culture Center in Calcutta when he eventually
settled there. He was invited to start another academy of dance by the
then Chief Minister B C Roy. This later became Rabindra Bharati University. |
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Odissi
dancer Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi, now the chairperson of Sangeet Natak
Akademi, Orissa is the first woman to hold this prestigious post. She also
has the distinction of being the first woman Vice Chancellor of Orissa.
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