A brief history of Kalakshetra

Vidya Dinakaran at the Bharata Natyam blog:

The name Kalakshetra was suggested by Pandit S. Subramania Sastri, a Sanskrit scholar and member of the academy. His granddaughter S. Sarada was one of the first students. She, along with Radha, Rukmini Devi’s niece, Leelavati, A. Sarada, and Anandi, granddaughter of Kalki Krishnamurti, were among the first to join Kalakshetra, then located in the Theosophical Society’s grounds. D. Pashupati, Raman and Lakshmanan began studying music, and soon more students followed.

Many renowned nattuvanars and dancers of that period taught at the institute. Among them were Meenakshisundaram Pillai, Rukmini Devi’s first teacher, Muthukumara Pillai, and Chokkalingam Pillai. Karaikkal Saradambal Ammal, known for her nritta, polished the technique of the early students. Dandayudapani Pillai later joined the staff, as did Mylapore Gowri Ammal. These early teachers bequeathed many compositions and stylistic inputs to the institute which remain embedded in the Kalakshetra style today. Ambu Pannikar, the great Kathakali ashaan who spent the last six years of his life at Kalakshetra, taught Rukmini Devi several Kathakali movements and set pieces that were used to great effect in her dance dramas. After his death, another doyen – Chandu Pannikar came to the college, bringing along with him young boys, Dhananjayan, Balagopalan, and later, his own son Janardhanan. These three, along with the older Kunhiraman, Ambu Pannikar’s son, became the early male dancers of the institute, participating in the new dramas that Rukmini Devi choreographed. They became known for their heroic roles in Kalakshetra’s dance dramas.

There is more in the piece; take a look.

While I have seen many music blogs, this probably is the first one about dance and from a dancer to boot; I am looking forward to more interesting and informative posts; link via Shencottah.

Dancing one’s thesis!

No, we aren’t talking about defending your thesis in front of an audience sprinkled with what Abi calls jerks in academia; we are talking about interpretative dancing of PhD theses (via Seed Daily Zeitgeist):

You may not be interested in reading a dissertation titled, ” “Refitting repasts: a spatial exploration of food processing, sharing, cooking and disposal at the Dunefield Midden campsite, South Africa.” But who could resist the chance to see it danced by the author, Brian Stewart, a graduate student of archaeology at Oxford?

He was the winner of the first “Dance Your PhD Contest,” held in Vienna, Austria, by John Bohannon, who writes the Gonzo Scientist column for the journal Science. Mr. Stewart, performing in a loin cloth, danced a highly stylized antelope chase followed by the processing and distribution of the food. He was assisted by a fellow archaeologist at Oxford, Giulia Saltini-Semerari, who played the antelope.

Take a look! And, if you know of any interesting thesis that might make a good theme, let me know!