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   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 will be 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 confers NAATYA PADHMAM on Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala on December12, 2024 at TAG Dakshinamurthy Hall, Mylapore, Chennai Aatmalaya Academy (Bangalore) presents 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  A book titled EFFIGY OF KERALANATANA - INSIGHTS AND PROBABILITIES authored by Aparna Sarma was released on October 5, 2024 in Chennai during Krishnanjali Academy's celebration of natyam. Prof.A.Janardhanan retired principal, Kalakshetra, released the book and V. Balagurunathan, director of the academy, received the copy. Aparna Sarma, a disciple of Guru Gopinath's disciple Kottayam Bhavani Chellappan, is a Keralanatanam research scholar fellowship awardee from Department of Culture, Govt of Kerala. This book explains all the nuances and techniques of Keralanatanam.  Dance/NYC awarded 25 grantees and 3 runners-up funding through the fourth iteration of the DANCE ADVANCEMENT FUND (2024-2026), made possible by the generous support of the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Jiva Dance headed by dancer Sonali Skandan and Surati for Performing Art led by founder-artistic director Rimli Roy are two of the grantees.  Photographer SRIVATSA SHANDILYA received the Karnataka state SUVARNA MAHOTSAVA AWARD on November 1, 2024 at Bangalore. Karnataka Sambrama-50 marks the golden jubilee of renaming Mysore State as Karnataka on November 1, 1973. Celebrating this, the government instituted the award.  Eminent Odissi dance guru and former Chief Executive of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre NABAKISHORE MISHRA passed away on October 28, 2024. More info: In fond memory of beloved Naba Sir: Guru Nabakishore Mishra - Ratikant Mohapatra  Bharatanatyam dancer Dr.Lakshmi Ramaswamy received NRITYA KALA RATNA from RR Sabha on October 23, 2024 at Chennai.  The GURU DEBAPRASAD LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2024 instituted by Guru Gajendra Panda’s Tridhara was conferred on Oct 26, 2024 at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar, on Guru Mayadhar Raut for his lifetime contribution in the field of Odissi Dance; Guru Gopal Chandra Panda in Odissi Music; Guru Harmohan Khuntia in Odissi Mardala and Dr. Ramesh Prasad Panigrahi for lifetime contribution in Natya Sahitya. On Oct 27, GURU DEBAPRASAD AWARD 2024 was conferred on gurus Madhavi Mudgal (Odissi dance); Chitra Visweswaran (Bharatanatyam); Ramlal Bareth (Kathak) and Bhagabata Pradhan (Sabda Nrutya). On Oct 25, GURU DEBAPRASAD PRATIVA AWARD 2024 was conferred on Dr. Ajith Bhaskar (Bharatanatyam), Rupa Rani Das Borah (Kathak), Tejas Upadhye (violin) and Vickneshwaram Gonasegar (Odissi dance).  The winners of this year’s UK Theatre Awards were announced at a ceremony which took place at 8 Northumberland Avenue on 20 October 2024. The UK Theatre Awards celebrate the very best of theatre across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Awards are given for creative excellence and outstanding work both on and off stage. The UK THEATRE AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE went to Mehek, an AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY & ADITI MANGALDAS DANCE COMPANY production in association with The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi.  The Aditi Mangaldas film WIDENING CIRCLES commissioned by Sadler's Wells London on her journey as an artiste, has been selected to be screened at the Exeter Dance International Film Festival as well as the American Dance Festival’s Movies by Movers. The film also featuring Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company is directed by Camilla Greenwell.  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.  SURESH DUTTA, an Indian puppet artiste, theatre personality and the founder of Calcutta Puppet Theatre, a Kolkata-based theatre group dedicated to puppetry, passed away on October 1, 2024. He was 94. Born in Faridpur (now in Bangladesh), he trained under Phani Bhushan, a Jatra exponent, Kathakali under Balakrishna Menon and fusion style of dance from Uday Shankar. In 1961-1962, he went on a Department of Education, Government of India scholarship to Moscow to study puppetry under world-renowned Soviet puppet master Sergei Obraztsov. This training and experience gave Suresh Dutta his enduring passion for the rod puppet style of puppetry. He was honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award (1987) and Padma Shri (2009). More info  K RAJASEKHARAN, accomplished musician and nattuvangam artiste, who accompanied many renowned dancers and students of many dance institutions, passed away in Chennai in the 4th week of September 2024.  ILEANA CITARISTI received GURU SHREE SAMMAN from Angika at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar, on October 22, 2024.   SHARMILA MUKERJEE and SYED SALLAUDIN PASHA received the KARNATAKA KALASHREE Award by the Karnataka Sangeet Nrithya Academy for 2023-2024 on Oct 28, 2024 at Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bangalore. Sharmila is the first Odissi dancer to get this award in Karnataka for her contribution to Odissi.  Karnataka Sangeet Nritya Academy conferred the KARNATAKA KALASHREE AWARD for 2024-25 on Oct 28, 2024 at Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bangalore. Honorary Award for dance to Gayatri Keshavan, Hassan Dance: T. Ravindra Sharma, Belgaum; Anuradha Vikranth, Bangalore; Sugganahalli Shadakshari, Bangalore; B. R. Hemantha Kumar, Bangalore - Violin for dance  Sonal Mansingh to receive SRIMANTA SANKARDEVA AWARD, the highest honor given by govt of Assam once in 3 years. Ashish Mohan Khokar’s ATTENDANCE ANNUAL AWARDS 2024 are to be given on November 30, 2024 at Alliance Francaise, Bangalore. MOHAN KHOKAR WRITING DANCE AWARD: Ranee Kumar RAM GOPAL BEST MALE SOLOIST AWARD: Washim Raja UDAY SHANKAR CHOREOGRAPHY AWARD: Vishwakiran Nambi RUKMINI DEVI OVERALL CONTRIBUTION AWARD: Guru Vanashree Rao MK SAROJA TRUE GURU SHISHYA PARAMPARA AWARD: Aishwarya Nithyananda MAYA RAO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Guru Aloka Panikar Special honor: Geetha Bhat for promoting Crafts/Chittara, Neha Muthiyan for dance publications, Akila Venkat for photography and graphic design  Dancer GEETA CHANDRAN to be 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 receive 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. The General Council of Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, New Delhi, at its meeting held on 21 and 22 Feb 2024 at New Delhi unanimously elected 6 eminent personalities in the field of performing arts as Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna). The honour carries a purse money of Rupees three lakhs. The General Council also selected 92 artists from the field of Music, Dance, Theatre, Traditional / Folk / Tribal Music / Dance / Theatre, Puppetry and Overall contribution / scholarship in the Performing Arts for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the years 2022 & 2023. The Award carries a purse money of Rupees one lakh, a Tamrapatra and Angavastram. . The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards were conferred by the President of India Droupadi Murmu in a special investiture ceremony on March 6, 2024. The General Council of the Akademi also selected 80 young artists for Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the years 2022 & 2023. The Puraskar carries a purse money of Rs. 25,000 besides a Tamrapatra and Angavastram. These awards will be conferred by the Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi, in a special ceremony on November 22, 2024 at Dr.Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. AKADEMI RATNA: Vinayak Khedekar, R. Visweswaran, Sunayana Hazarilal, Raja & Radha Reddy, Dulal Roy, D.P. Sinha AWARDEES FOR THE YEAR 2022 AKADEMI PURASKAR for Dance: Manjula Ramaswamy (BN), Nalini and Kamalini Asthana (Kathak), Kalamandalam Balasubrahmaniam (Kathakali), S. Noyonshakhi Devi (Manipuri), Bhagavatula Sethuram (Kuchipudi), Niranjan Rout (Odissi), Gobinda Saikia (Sattriya), Kala Vijayan (Mohiniattam), Sadhucharan Mahato (Chhau), Bharat Sharma (Creative & Experimental Dance), Karuna Borah (Other major traditions of dance and dance theatre- Ankiya Bhawan), Pusthakam Ramaa (Music for dance) Margi Madhu Chakyar (Other major traditions of Theatre –Kutiyattam) Chingtham Ranjeet Khuman (Thang Ta, Manipur) OVERALL CONTRIBUTION/SCHOLARSHIP IN PERFORMING ARTS Lakshahira Das (Overall contribution in performing arts), Prameela Gurumurthy (Scholarship in performing arts) USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN YUVA PURASKAR for Dance: Mandakranta Roy (BN), Kadam Saurinbhai Parikh (Kathak), Urmika Maibam (Manipuri), T.Reddi Lakshmi (Kuchipudi), Arupa Gayatri Panda (Odissi), Dimpee Baishya (Sattriya), Akshara M Das (Mohiniattam), Pradyumna Kumar Mohanta (Chhau), Mingma Dorjee Lepcha (Creative & Experimental Dance), Aparna Nangiar (Nangiarkoothu) Moirangthem Kendra Singh (Nata Sankirtan, Manipur) Anuthama Murali (Overall contribution in performing arts) AWARDEES FOR THE YEAR 2023 AKADEMI PURASKAR for Dance: Urmila Sathyanarayanan (BN), Jagdish Gangani (Kathak), Margi Vijayakumar (Kathakali). Latasana Devi (Manipuri), Maddali Usha Gayatri (Kuchipudi), Snehaprava Samantaray (Odissi), Bhaben Borbayan (Sattriya), Pallavi Krishnan (Mohiniattam), Parikshit Mahato (Chhau), Nirupama & Rajendra (Creative & Experimental Dance), Perini Prakash (Other major traditions of dance and dance theatre- Periniattam), Kalinath Mishra (Music for dance) Piyal Bhattacharya (Other major traditions of theatre –Sanskrit Theatre) OVERALL CONTRIBUTION/SCHOLARSHIP IN PERFORMING ARTS Gopalan Nair Venu (Venu G - Overall contribution in performing arts), Jagdish Trivedi (Scholarship in performing arts) USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN YUVA PURASKAR for Dance: Apoorva Jayaraman (BN), Meghranjani Medhi (Kathak), Kalamandalam Vipin Sankar (Kathakali), Pukhrambam Reepa Devi (Manipuri), M. Surendra Nadh (Kuchipudi), Debasish Pattnaik (Odissi), Mukunda Saikia (Sattriya), Vidyamol Pradeep (Mohiniattam), Sunita Mahato (Chhau), Venkateshwaran Kuppuswamy (Music for Dance) B. Mallikarjuna Rao (Allied Theatre Arts – Make-up) Laxminarayan Jena (Overall contribution in performing arts)  The convenors of the 2024 Natya Kala Conference of Krishna Gana Sabha are Kathak duo Nirupama and Rajendra of Bangalore.  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 |
