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   Eminent Odissi dance guru and adept mardala player (disciple of Pt Swapan Chowdhury), POUSHALI MUKHERJEE passed away on December 22, 2024 at Kolkata. A senior disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, she was an exceptional teacher in her Poushali Mukherjee Dance Academy, mentoring many students who are now accomplished performers. Her unwavering dedication and invaluable contributions to Odissi and her efforts to uphold and spread the legacy of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra will always be cherished and remembered. During RASA’s annual festival The Kala Rasa Mahotsava from Dec 24, 2024 to Jan 4, 2025 in Chennai, the following dance artistes are being honoured: Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari (Lifetime Achievement Award and the title of NATANA RASA SHIRONMANI), Dr Sarada Natarajan (NATYA RASA MA MANI), Jayanthi Subramaniam, Priya Murle, Revathi Ramachandran, Radhika Shurajit, Shobana Bhalchandra, Srekala Bharath, Roja Kannan, Madurai R Muralidharan & Chitra Muralidharan, Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala, Anitha Guha and Mala Bharath (NATANA RASA MA MANI). Every day, one special achiever will be presented the STAR (Special Talent at RASA) Award for excellence in the fields of music, dance and natya.  PREETI VASUDEVAN is winner of BEST CHOREOGRAPHY for the OSCARS 2024 QUALIFIED, ‘RESILIENT’ at the NYC TV Film Festival 2024.  Dr. USHA RK, Arts Researcher, Curator and Consultant, receives the NATYA KALA VISHARADA HA award from Krishna Gana Sabha and Natya Kala Conference on December 26, 2024, the inaugural day of the NKC at Chennai  On 16th December 2024, screening and digital release of Bala Devi Chandrashekar's ‘Brihadeeswara- Form to Formless through the Eyes of a Devaradiyal’ took place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, by Prince Tesso Sisowath. The Drishtikon Dance Foundation announced the winners of the DR. SUNIL KOTHARI AWARD FOR EMERGING ARTIST 2024. Submissions sent by artistes, nominated by Gurus from different genres, were sent to an international jury: Anuradha Parikh, founder & artistic director G5A Foundation for Contemporary Art, Mumbai; Manish Kansara, sculptor, teacher & set designer; Morag Deyes, choreographer, mentor & curation adviser to International Festivals; Sooraj Subramaniam, dancer & choreographer; Suanshu Khurana, journalist & editor; Sudeep Sen, poet, translator, artist and editor; and Vaibhav Arekar, dancer & choreographer. First: KAVYA GANESH (Bharatanatyam) | Man: Predator or Prey? Second: BABINA DEVI (Manipuri) | YUM - A Home Of One's Own Second: MEDHA HARI (Bharatanatyam) | Right Turn Second: PRASHANT MORE (Contemporary) | Pause, Don’t Pause. Forward, Fast Forward KAVYA GANESH will receive the award along with a certificate and cash prize of INR 75000. BABINA DEVI, MEDHA HARI and PRASHANT MORE will jointly receive the second prize of INR 25000 (INR 8333 each) along with a certificate. AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY and his Songs of the Bulbul, choreographed by Rani Khanam, has been named the 2ND BEST UK DANCE SHOW OF 2024 by The Guardian. It beautifully captures a soulful journey and the essence of human emotions.  Global musical icon USTAD ZAKIR HUSSAIN ALLARAKHA QURESHI (9 March 1951 – 15 December 2024) passed away in San Francisco, aged 73, after a brief illness. He was a tabla player, composer, percussionist, music producer and film actor. He was the eldest son of tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha. Known for his many remarkable collaborations, he has won four Grammy Awards out of 7 nominations. He was celebrated for his role in popularising tabla and bringing classical Indian music to a global audience. He received Padma Shri (1988), Padma Bhushan (2002) and Padma Vibhushan (2023). Nasreen Munni Kabir has written the book Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music, which was published in 2018. Hussain was married to Antonia Minnecola, a Kathak dancer and teacher, who was also his manager. More info: Zakir Hussain, who beat a syncretic rhythm, no more - Anuj Kumar In Memoriam: Zakir Hussain (1951-2024) India’s Heartbeat - Veejay Sai Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain’s music crossed boundaries and united the world of rhythm.  Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam received the LAKSHMINARAYANA INTERNATIONAL AWARD 2024 at RR Sabha, Chennai, on December 20, 2024 during the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival.  On December 13, 2024 Narada Gana Sabha presented the NAADHA BRAHMAM award to CHITRA VISWESWARAN and the BINFIELD ENDOWMENT AWARD to her disciple DR. LAKSHMI RAMASWAMY at their premises in Chennai.  SUMATHI SRIRAM was the oldest alumnus of Bharata Kalanjali. With this lone student, the Dhananjayans started Bharata Kalanjali in 1968. Sumathi passed away peacefully on 9th December 2024 early morning. All through these years till her last day, she kept up a good relationship with her alma mater in the capacity of a teacher, program participant, helper in various activities of BK. Bharata Kalanjali was planning to celebrate Sumathi's 50th year of arangetram shortly. It is indeed a great loss to the Bharata Kalanjali family.  SUJATA MOHAPATRA received KONARK UTSAV SAMMAN 2024 on December 5, 2024 from Konark Sahitya Samsad, Odisha.  On December 10, 2024 Manasija honored AVINASH PASRICHA, legendary performing arts photographer and KAMALINI DUTT, a distinguished scholar and cultural advocate with the MANASIJA SAMMAN 2024, at Stein auditorium, New Delhi.  ABHAI in association with Kartik Fine Arts presented the ABHAI PRAVASI NATYA KALANIDHI AWARD to HEMA RAJAGOPALAN for her contribution in propagating Bharatanatyam in USA, on December 13, 2024 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai.  On December 8, 2024 the book NATYAVADYA SARVABHAUMAM, a biography written by percussionist for dance, KNP NAMBISAN, a renowned instrumentalist of Mumbai, was released and a book exchange was held, at Bassin Kerala Samajam School, Vasai Rd, Mumbai.  Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to music and dance scholar, critic and columnist Dr. M. SURYA PRASAD by Sri Ramaseva Mandali Trust, Bengaluru on 21st December 2024.  On the occasion of her Guru Adyar Lakshman’s 91st birthday remembrance in Chennai, Roja Kannan’s Bharatha Natyalaya has instituted a LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD in his memory to be awarded to senior artistes who have been associated with him. On December 16, 2024 the Award was conferred on ADYAR K. GOPINATH, renowned mridangam vidwan, younger brother of Lakshman sir, for his immense contribution to the art of Bharatanatyam as a mridangam artiste, as a Guru and for his innumerable jathi compositions for Bharatanatyam. The award consists of a gold medal, citation and cash award of Rs.10,000.  The Mylapore Fine Arts Club presented the NRITHYA KALA NIPUNA title to Bharatanatyam dancer PADMINI KRISHNAMURTHY at their 73rd Art Festival on December 18, 2024 at their premises in Chennai.  At the 92nd South Indian Music Conference and Festival, the Indian Fine Arts Society conferred NATYA KALA SIKHAMANI on Bharatanatyam dancer JAYASHREE RAJAGOPALAN on December 18, 2024 at Ethiraj Kalyana Nilayam, Chennai.  Kartik Fine Arts presented NADANAMAMANI to Bharatanatyam dancers Mahati Kannan and Sowjanya Suresh on Dec 1, 2024 at Narada Gana Sabha hall, Chennai. On Dec 13, 2024, NRITHYA PEROLI to Guru Leela Samson, NATYA CHUDAR to Manasa Sriram, NRITHYAJYOTHI AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN BHARATANATYAM to Binesh Mahadevan, NATYA KALAI ARASI to Sreelatha Vinod, MADURA KALAMANI AWARD to Vijay Palaparty were given at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.  Distinguished scholar, celebrated exponent, choreographer and Guru of Manipuri dance RAJKUMAR SINGHAJIT SINGH (born 1932) passed away on the evening of November 19, 2024 at his residence at Delhi. Born in a family of dancers and musicians in Manipur, he was fortunate to receive his dance education from the finest gurus - Guru Ojha Iboton Singh for Pung (drum), Guru Amubi Singh, Jagoi; Guru Thambal Angou Singh and Guru Chauba Singh for Kartal Cholom; and with Guru Ojha Gaura Singh from whom he learned the martial arts with sword and spear. He soon established himself as a dancer, choreographer and artiste of repute. Guru Singhajit Singh and his dancer wife Charu Sija Mathur established Manipuri Nrityashram in New Delhi. He was a recipient of many awards and recognitions including Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony (2014), Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2011), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1984), Kalidas Samman, Manipur State Kala Akademi Fellow, Nritya Choodamani, Padma Shri (1986), Manipur Sahitya Parishad award. A luminary in the arts, his profound knowledge, dedication to his craft, and warm humour touched countless lives, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of Indian classical dance.  Bharat Kalachar Awards for 2024 - 25 were given on December 15, 2024 at their premises in Chennai. VISWA KALA BHARATHI: Shobana Chandrakumar ACHARYA KALA BHARATHI: Meenakshi Chitharanjan KALA SEVA BHARATHI: Priya Murle YUVA KALA BHARATHI for dance: Sahana Selvaganesh, PV Adithya, Shivani Krishnamurthy, Aparajitha, Ramya Venkataraman SPECIAL COMMENDATION: Kali Veerapathiran  Brahma Gana Sabha conferred NAATYA PADHMAM on Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala on December 12, 2024 at TAG Dakshinamurthy Hall, Mylapore, Chennai Aatmalaya Academy (Bangalore) presented the following awards on Nov 30, 2024 at Chennai. CHAKYAR RAJAN MEMORIAL AWARD to K.N. Krishna Kurup, Pooja Kottu DR. RAJARAM SHASTRI AWARD to Dr. R. Krishnamurthy Shastrigal, Veda-Sanskritam MELATTUR SRI S. NATARAJAN MEMORIAL AWARD to Jayaram Ganesan, Music and Dance AATMALAYA SPECIAL AWARD to Tanjavur V. Padma, mridangam  RAGASUDHA VINJAMURI will receive the MITHILA GAURAV SAMMAN 2024 from Mithila Vibhuti Smruti Parv Mahotsav at Madhubani (Mithila, India) on November 14, 2024, for highlighting Mithila Culture and Maithili language in the UK, through dance presentations and various other activities.  Sonal Mansingh to receive SRIMANTA SANKARDEVA AWARD, the highest honor given by govt of Assam once in 3 years.  Dancer GEETA CHANDRAN was honoured by Krishna Gana Sabha with NRITYA CHOODAMANI award on 13 December 2024 during the inaugural ceremony of the 68th Marghazi Mela in Chennai. RANJANI-GAYATRI received the SANGEETA CHOODAMANI  The KALIDAS SAMMAN of Govt of Madhya Pradesh goes to Dr. Sandhya Purecha and Pandit Uday Bhawalkar. The other awardees include: Sudha Raghuraman (RASHTRIYA KUMAR GANDHARVA SAMMAN), Kalpana Zokarkar and Pt Akhilesh Gundecha (SHIKHAR SAMMAN).  The Madras Music Academy will confer SANGITA KALANIDHI award on Carnatic musician TM Krishna. Prof Parassala Ravi (V Raveendran Nair) and Geetha Raja will be conferred with SANGITA KALA ACHARYA awards. S Narasimhan and S Venkatesan, known as Thiruvaiyyaru Brothers, and violinist H K Narasimhamurthy will receive TTV AWARD. MUSICOLOGIST AWARD goes to Dr. Margaret Bastin. The music awards will be given on January 1, 2025 during the sadas. Mohiniattam dancer Dr Neena Prasad will be conferred NRITYA KALANIDHI Award at the inauguration of the Annual Dance Festival on January 3, 2025.  Vadodara based Mohiniattam dancer Dr. Ayswaria Wariar to receive the GUJARAT GAURAV PURASKAR 2018-2019 from the Gujarat Sangeet Natak Akademi, Dept of Sports, Youth and Culture, Govt. of Gujarat.  Bharatanatyam Guru M.R. Krishnamurthy (for 2020-2021) and Kuchipudi dancer Sunanda Devi (for 2021-2022) are to be honored with the SHANTALA AWARD by the Karnataka government later in the year. Highlights ; Obituaries |
