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   The MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION’S 2023 DISTINGUISHED ARTIST AWARD recipient is Dipankar Mukherjee, theater maker and artistic director of Pangea World Theater, Minneapolis. Every year, the McKnight Foundation awards the $100,000 prize to a “Minnesota artist or culture bearer who has made significant contributions to the state’s cultural life.”  Ileana Citaristi receives the 17TH GURU DEBAPRASAD AWARD 2023 on October 30, 2023 during the Guru Debaprasad Award Festival organised by Tridhara from Oct 26 to 30 at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar.  Bharatanatyam Guru SAROJA VAIDYANATHAN (born 19 Sept 1937), Founder President of Ganesa Natyalaya in New Delhi, passed away in the early hours on September 21, 2023 after a long illness. She was 86. In her career spanning 50 years, Saroja Vaidyanathan choreographed many full-length dance productions and individual Bharatanatyam items. To promote a holistic learning approach to the Bharatanatyam art form, she taught Hindi, Tamil, and Carnatic music alongside the dance form to students. She got her institution affiliated with a university and had students take proper exams. Her illustrious daughter-in-law Rama Vaidyanathan carries forward her institutional work. Ganesa Natyalaya was started in 1974 and the current Natyalaya building came up in 1988. The institute boasts of many Indian and Western students and was the first dedicated Bharatanatyam institute in Delhi. Its choreographies and productions have been showcased all over India and abroad to much critical acclaim. Saroja Vaidyanathan has won numerous awards for her contribution to this classical Indian dance form. Her titles include the Padma Bhushan (2013) from the Government of India, the Padma Shri (2002), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2008), Kalidas Samman (2011) by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, Kalaimamani (1999) from the Government of Tamil Nadu. She is also an author of books on classical dance and music. Her disciples are settled all over the world as dance professionals and so the banner of Ganesa Natyalaya spans many continents. More info: Bharatanatyam exponent Saroja Vaidyanathan passes away at 86 - Suanshu Khurana Saroja Vaidyanathan (1937-2023) - Ashish Mohan Khokar  RUKMINI RASIAH of Yogaville, popularly known as ‘Amma Rasiah,’ passed away on 27 August 2023, at the age of 105 at her daughter Padma Rasiah's residence in Richmond, USA. Under her able leadership and management, the Yogaville Fine Arts Society let the door open to a world community to Bhaarateeya Samskaar through our classical performing arts such a Bharatanatyam, Sangeetam and other fine arts. More info  Among the recipients of the 2023 DANCE MAGAZINE AWARDS, this year with a theme of dance and dance education, is BIJAYINI SATPATHY. A ceremony to recognize this year’s honorees will be held in New York City at 92nd Street Y on December 4, 2023 with performances and presentations for each recipient.  Roja Kannan received the DR SAROJA VAIDYANATHAN EXCELLENCE AWARD 2023 on September 15, 2023 at the Vysakhi Nrityotsav in Vishakapatnam  Kathak Guru Kumudini Lakhia received the GUJARAT RATNA SANMAAN 2023 from the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel on September 8, 2023.  Bijayini Satpathy is a 2023-2024 Fellow of the Centre for Ballet and the Arts at New York University. The Fellowship program supports four individuals for the academic year whose projects focus on anthropology, disability arts, classical Indian dance, and performance studies. They will receive financial support, academic resources, and space to create new work and further their research. Bijayini’s project NIRVIKALPA - transconceptual is a new dance in her choreographic journey.  For her "impactful and path-breaking contribution in Dance and Creating Social Consciousness by communicating through your Art Form," dancer Geeta Chandran will be conferred with the 2023 MAHATMA AWARD supported by the Aditya Birla Group on 30 September 2023 in New Delhi.  Ileana Citaristi received the MOHINI NRUTYA AWARD 2023 from Sai Aradhana Dance Academy on September 3, 2023 at Bhubaneswar  At the 29th OMC-Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival 2023, Srjan presented GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA AWARD 2023 (Rs.1 lakh) to Anant Mahapatra for theatre on September 9, 2023 at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar. GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA YUVA PRATIBHA SAMMAN 2023 (Rs.25,000) went to Arup Das for Odissi music (mardala), Siddhi Waikar & Arupa Gayatri Panda for Odissi dance, Vishal Krishna for Kathak A biography of choreographer Alexei Ratmansky by dance writer Marina Harss titled THE BOY FROM KYIV will be published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux and released on Oct 3, 2023.  Shobana Bhalchandra received the VRINDARANI AWARD from Lasya Academy on 3rd September 2023 at Music Academy, Chennai.  Dr. Sreelatha Vinod, Bharatanatyam artiste and Founder/Director of Anthara Center for Performing Arts, Chennai, is to receive the NRITYA CHOODAMANI award from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha this year.  Kalamandalam Rajeev (Mizhavu), Kalamandalam Sheeba Krishnakumar (dance), Bijula Balakrishnan (dance), Kalamandalam Radhamani (Thullal) to get the KERALA SANGEETHA NATAKA AKADEMI AWARD for 2022. Chenda/Edakka artiste Kalamandalam Unnikrishnan gets the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi fellowship. Kalamandalam Kalluvazhi Vasu (Kathakali), Kalanilayam Kunjunni (Kathakali), Kavadiyar Suresh (dance drama) will get the GURUPUJA PURASKARAM.  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.  The Madras Music Academy has announced that the SANGITA KALANIDHI award for 2023 goes to Bombay Jayashri and NRITHYA KALANIDHI award goes to Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari. The music award will be conferred at the Sadas on Jan 1, 2024 and dance award on Jan 3, 2024 at the inauguration of the 17th Annual Dance Festival in Chennai. The General Council of Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, has selected artistes, who are above the age of 75 years and haven’t been accorded any national honour in their career so far, from the field of the Performing Arts of India for the one-time SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI AMRIT AWARD under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) commemorating 75 years of India's independence. The SNA Amrit Award carries a purse money of Rs. 1,00,000 (Rupees one lakh), besides a Tamrapatra and Angavastram. The awards were given on September 16, 2023 at New Delhi by the Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. The dance awardees are: Mahankali Srimannarayana Murthy (Kuchipudi), Hori Bora Barbayan (Sattriya), Kumkum Lal (Odissi), Charan Girdhar Chand (Kathak), Smita Rajeshbhai Shastri (Kuchipudi), Lalitha Srinivasan (Bharatanatyam), N. Appunni Tharakan (Makeup for Kathakali), Kalakshetra Vilasini (Bharatanatyam), Kalamandalam Prabhakaran (Ottanthullal), Padma Sharma (Kathak), Hijam Tombi Singh (Manipuri), Sidheswar Das (Mayurbhanj Chhau), Gobinda Chandra Pal (Odissi-Gotipua), Girdhari Maharaj (Kathak), V.A.K Ranga Rao (scholar & documentation), Purnima Pande (Kathak), Susmita Misra (Kathak), Thankamani Kutty (Bharatanatyam), Bhagabandas Kumar (Purulia Chhau), H. Bishwaroop Singh (Thang Ta), Guru Prasad Ojha (Sattriya Ojhapali). Highlights ; Obituaries |
