Kerala Natanam

Classical dance of India

Kerala Natanam

Keralanadanam

Genre| Indian classical dance
Origin| Kerala

Kerala Natanam (Kerala Dance) is a new style of dance that is now recognised as a distinct art form evolved from Kathakali, a form of Indian dance-drama. The Indian dancer Guru Gopinath a well-trained Kathakali artist and his wife Thankamani Gopinath who was the first student of Mohiniyattam in Kerala Kalamandalam developed a unique structure for teaching and performing classical dance forms of India whose origins are from Kathakali. Solo, duets, dance dramas and traditional folk dances were the material they chose.[1]

Guru Gopinath and Thankamani's dance programs found traditional pieces existing side by side with those modified to present a variety of themes. Their style relied heavily on the angika abhinaya (body movements and gestures) and satvika abhinaya (facial expressions) from Kathakali. The major stance of Kathakali was changed by Gopinath to a more convenient pose that could rest well with the tribhanga concept.[2]

Another significant deviation was in aharya abhinaya (costume mode) where they adopted costumes and facial makeup to suit the role. Thus, in a dance on Jesus Christ, the dancer dressed like Christ. In social dances the artists wore the dress of labourers, peasants, folk, etc. Likewise roles of Srikrishna, king, snake charmer, hunter had the appropriate attire. For the first time Carnatic music compositions used for concerts were rendered into dance forms by Gopinath. Unlike traditional Kathakali and Mohini attam, a variety musical instruments were added to his presentations.

Even though during his lifetime Guru Gopinath did not give a name to his style, after his death the movement to give his style a name gained momentum. In 1993, during the Global Conference on Guru Gopinath and Kerala Nadanam held in Trivandrum, a Sanskrit definition was given to this style by his students: Keraleeya Shaastriya Sargaathmaka Nrittham — "A traditional creative dance style originating from Kerala."

Kerala Nadanam can be performed in three ways: Ekamga Nadanam (solo), Samgha Nadanam (group), Nataka Nadanam (dance drama enacting a story). Male–female pair dancing is a distinct style in Kerala Nadanam. So also he has extended the dance drama to five or six hours long performance called Indian ballets.

Kerala Natanam

## Guru Gopinath

[edit]

Perumanoor Gopinathan Pillai, more popularly known as Guru Gopinath (24 June 1908 – 9 October 1987) was a well known Indian actor-cum-dancer. He is well regarded as the greatest preserver of the dance tradition. He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award,[1] the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship,[2] and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award.[3]

Significance Guru Gopinath was well tempered by traditional discipline, but he expanded the framework of tradition. He was instrumental in introducing and popularising Kathakali, the illustrious dance drama of Kerala, lying in obscurity, to the outer world.

He is considered one of the epic personalities of Indian dancing in the 20th century like Uday Shankar. He carved out a contemporary style of dancing, classical in form but popular in appeal, through which the fame of Kathakali spread far and wide in the beginning of the 1930s.

He showed how Indian dancing could handle themes other an than those from Hindu mythology. Indian classical dance is the language of humanity, the global language. He popularised it by choreographing dance and ballets having biblical social current and political themes.

He was trained in both southern (Kaplingadan) and northern (Kalluvazhi) style of Kathakali. He was invited for higher studies when poet Vallathol Narayana Menon started Kerala Kalamandalam at Mulamkunnathukavu in Thrissur. He received training from masters in the field, such as Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Guru Kunchu Kurup and Guru Kavalappara Narayanan Nair. He studied Rasa Abhinaya under Natyaacharya Padma Shri Mani Madhava Chakkiyar. Famous Kathakali artist Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and dancer Ananda Shivaram were then students in the first batch of Kalamandalam.

He was dance partner to Ragini Devi, formerly Esther Luella Sherman, an American-born dancer from Michigan. Guru Gopinath and Ragini Devi made their first stage performance in Mumbai in December 1932.

The success of this performance encouraged them for more stage shows and an all India tour, making performances and lecture- demonstrations on Indian classical dance. Kathakali and dancing were thus made popular, which was comprehensive to the layman and connoisseur alike.

When Rabindranath Tagore saw young Gopinath's performance in early thirties he wrote an appreciation on the dancer:

"Mr Gopinath is a real artist and I am sure there are not many who could rightfully take their stand by his side either in India or abroad. He brought to my mind glimpses of the great past when dancing was one of the most treasured arts in India and not as today, a mere device of whetting up the jaded appetite of the idle rich. His presence in our midst was a great lesson and now that dancing is again coming into vogue amongst us, his style should give us a correct lead, for in want of it, we are yet groping in the dark."

He was awarded the Veera Srumkhala from, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma the King of Travancore. The Guru Status was awarded later by Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). The Rabindra Bharathi University honoured him with a doctorate. His statue was erected in Viswa Bharathi University. His illustrious demonstration of Nava Rasa (the nine emotions) is featured in major museums in US, France, Germany and Switzerland.

Kathakali style of dancing and training was a male monopoly. It was Guru Gopinath who experimented and proved that females can perform Kathakali. He was appointed as the palace dancer and principal of the dance institution run by the royal family. The Natananiketan in Chennai and the Viswa Kala Kendra in Trivandrum the International Kathakali Centre in Delhi were institutions founded by him.

Malayalam film history has noted Guru Gopinath as one among the actors of the beginning years. He has acted in the movie Prahlada as Hiranyakasipu. This was the sixth Malayalam movie and the third movie having sound tracks.

He has made guest appearances as Jesus Christ in Jeevithanauka and Poothana in Bhakathakuchela.

Guru Gopinath was one such artist who could show the nuances of the nine emotions in Kathakali and he could show different emotions on each half of his face at the same time.

He died on stage, as he wished, with makeup, attire and anklets while enacting the role of King Dasharatha in his famous ballet Ramayana on 9 October 1987 at Fine Arts Hall Eranakulam.

The Kerala government has established a dance village named 'Guru Gopinath Natanagramam in Trivandrum. The Natanagramam has a 3-storey dance museum dedicated to him.

Guru Gopinath has travelled and performed in many parts of the world. He made performances in US, erstwhile USSR and Sri Lanka. He was a member of the first cultural delegation of independent India to the USSR in 1954. Among them was the great Indian Dancer Tara Chaudhri, the only North Indian born dancer performing dances from the south. He was invited as a judge of Classical Dances in the Eighth World Youth Festival held at Helsinki, Finland in 1961.

Early years Guru Gopinath's family the 'Perumanoor tharavad' has two hundred years of tradition in Kathakali. The Kathakali artist Champakkulam Paachu Pillai, who was known for his performance in thaadi and kaththi roles in Kathakali, was his elder brother. Bheeman Paramu Pillai alias Unda Paramu Pillai, a court dancer (kathakali) of Travancore was his maternal grandfather.

He was born on 24 June 1908, as the second son of Madhavi Amma and Kaippilli Sankara Pillai, in Champakulam, Kuttanad now in Alappuzha district of Kerala. There were many exponents of Kaplingadan style of 'Kathakali' in this family like Champakkulam Paramu Pillai and Champakkulam Shanku Pillai. Great Kathakali master Guru Kunchu Kurup is related to this family.

His initiation to Kathakali arangu (stage) was accidental. When he was a child once he had gone with his paternal uncle for a Kathakali show performed by his troupe. The show was on and at midnight suddenly uncle came to the sleeping boy and did some minimum make up to him to look like a maharshi – a hermit – and asked him to sit on a chair on the stage. He instructed him to hand over the bows and arrows when a man with glittering headgear comes and bestow him. He did exactly as told by uncle. That was Guru Gopinath's first appearance in a Kathakali show.

Great masters of Kathakali like Champakkulam Paramu Pillai, Mathoor Kunjupilla Panicker, and Thakazhi Kesava Panicker at Champakkulam were his teachers for the initial years, where he had undergone training in southern style of acting in kathakali, which gives importance to abhinaya.

Kavalappara Narayanan Nair was his main teacher at 'Kerala Kalamandalam' where he was asked to join as a special student for higher studies in northern style, which gives importance to gestures movements and footsteps. Guru Kunchu Kurup taught him lessons in Abhinaya(acting). Later he went and stayed with Chenganoor Raman Pillai an expert in southern style, to learn more about Kathakali.

Family Guru Gopinath was married to Mulakkal Thankamani Amma, a great Mohiniyattam dancer and exponent of Kerala Natanam. She was the first student of Mohiniyattam at Kerala Kalamandalam in early 30s, when Poet Vallathol Narayana Menon and Manakkulam Mukunda Raja started a course to revive this dying art form. After marriage she became co-dancer and partner of Gopinath. Her relentless support of her husband was significant to his achievement.

They had four children. Their eldest daughter is Vasanthi Jayaswal, a dancer and social worker. She is an exponent of Kerala Natanam & Bharatanatyam and is a teacher of shastras in USA. Their second daughter was Vilasini Ramachandran, a Senior I.A.S. officer in Gujarat (She died on 5 March 2015). The youngest daughter Vinodini Sasimohan was a child artist in Malayalam movies in the 60s and she is now the Chief Administrative Officer of Viswa Kala Kendra, Trivandrum. G. Venugopal is his only son.

Kerala Natanam (Kerala Dance) He made "Kathakali" more accessible to teachers, students and audience. He brought some innovative changes to make a new style of dancing from this ancient dance form known as 'Oriental dance', 'Kathakali Natanam' and later 'Kerala Natanam' (Keralanatanam), without sacrificing its essence and classicism.

Kerala Natanam can be called a stylised form of Kathakali. Guru Gopinath developed his own style that was appealing to the masses who were then devoid of art and dance, without compromising on the classical background. He never tried to reform Kathakali and to tamper with the originality and purity it possessed.

He was instrumental to bring Kathakali out from the courtyards of upper class Brahmins and Nairs and rajas and dance chambers of temples to the masses. His performances created a dance wave in Kerala, which had reprecations all over India in thirties and forties

Ordinary people in India, who had no training knowledge in understanding classical dance started enjoying it and appreciating it, only after they had the opportunity of watching Gopinath perform.

Ramlila and Ramayana ballet Guru Gopinath was an exponent of various styles of Indian dances. The illustrious 'Raam Leela' of Delhi, choreographed and directed by him was its glorious proof. His last choreography 'Ramaayana' ballet was the most popular one, which was staged more than 1500 times in various parts of Kerala..

Books Guru Gopinath has written books in Malayalam and English, which explain theory and practise of Indian and Kerala dances. Two books are in English- The classical Dance poses of India and Abinaya Prakashika (with Sanskrit slokas).

Other books are:

Kathakali Natanam (kathakali dancing) Natanakairali (Kerala dance) Thalavum Natanavum (rhythm and dancing) Abhinayamkuram (The beginning of Acting) Abhinaya prakashika (The Expressions of Acting)

Perumanoor Gopinathan Pillai, more popularly known as Guru Gopinath (24 June 1908 – 9 October 1987) was a well known Indian actor-cum-dancer. He is well regarded as the greatest preserver of the dance tradition. He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award,[1] the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship,[2] and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award.[3]

Significance Guru Gopinath was well tempered by traditional discipline, but he expanded the framework of tradition. He was instrumental in introducing and popularising Kathakali, the illustrious dance drama of Kerala, lying in obscurity, to the outer world.

He is considered one of the epic personalities of Indian dancing in the 20th century like Uday Shankar. He carved out a contemporary style of dancing, classical in form but popular in appeal, through which the fame of Kathakali spread far and wide in the beginning of the 1930s.

He showed how Indian dancing could handle themes other an than those from Hindu mythology. Indian classical dance is the language of humanity, the global language. He popularised it by choreographing dance and ballets having biblical social current and political themes.

He was trained in both southern (Kaplingadan) and northern (Kalluvazhi) style of Kathakali. He was invited for higher studies when poet Vallathol Narayana Menon started Kerala Kalamandalam at Mulamkunnathukavu in Thrissur. He received training from masters in the field, such as Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Guru Kunchu Kurup and Guru Kavalappara Narayanan Nair. He studied Rasa Abhinaya under Natyaacharya Padma Shri Mani Madhava Chakkiyar. Famous Kathakali artist Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and dancer Ananda Shivaram were then students in the first batch of Kalamandalam.

He was dance partner to Ragini Devi, formerly Esther Luella Sherman, an American-born dancer from Michigan. Guru Gopinath and Ragini Devi made their first stage performance in Mumbai in December 1932.

The success of this performance encouraged them for more stage shows and an all India tour, making performances and lecture- demonstrations on Indian classical dance. Kathakali and dancing were thus made popular, which was comprehensive to the layman and connoisseur alike.

When Rabindranath Tagore saw young Gopinath's performance in early thirties he wrote an appreciation on the dancer:

"Mr Gopinath is a real artist and I am sure there are not many who could rightfully take their stand by his side either in India or abroad. He brought to my mind glimpses of the great past when dancing was one of the most treasured arts in India and not as today, a mere device of whetting up the jaded appetite of the idle rich. His presence in our midst was a great lesson and now that dancing is again coming into vogue amongst us, his style should give us a correct lead, for in want of it, we are yet groping in the dark."

He was awarded the Veera Srumkhala from, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma the King of Travancore. The Guru Status was awarded later by Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). The Rabindra Bharathi University honoured him with a doctorate. His statue was erected in Viswa Bharathi University. His illustrious demonstration of Nava Rasa (the nine emotions) is featured in major museums in US, France, Germany and Switzerland.

Kathakali style of dancing and training was a male monopoly. It was Guru Gopinath who experimented and proved that females can perform Kathakali. He was appointed as the palace dancer and principal of the dance institution run by the royal family. The Natananiketan in Chennai and the Viswa Kala Kendra in Trivandrum the International Kathakali Centre in Delhi were institutions founded by him.

Malayalam film history has noted Guru Gopinath as one among the actors of the beginning years. He has acted in the movie Prahlada as Hiranyakasipu. This was the sixth Malayalam movie and the third movie having sound tracks.

He has made guest appearances as Jesus Christ in Jeevithanauka and Poothana in Bhakathakuchela.

Guru Gopinath was one such artist who could show the nuances of the nine emotions in Kathakali and he could show different emotions on each half of his face at the same time.

He died on stage, as he wished, with makeup, attire and anklets while enacting the role of King Dasharatha in his famous ballet Ramayana on 9 October 1987 at Fine Arts Hall Eranakulam.

The Kerala government has established a dance village named 'Guru Gopinath Natanagramam in Trivandrum. The Natanagramam has a 3-storey dance museum dedicated to him.

Guru Gopinath has travelled and performed in many parts of the world. He made performances in US, erstwhile USSR and Sri Lanka. He was a member of the first cultural delegation of independent India to the USSR in 1954. Among them was the great Indian Dancer Tara Chaudhri, the only North Indian born dancer performing dances from the south. He was invited as a judge of Classical Dances in the Eighth World Youth Festival held at Helsinki, Finland in 1961.

Early years Guru Gopinath's family the 'Perumanoor tharavad' has two hundred years of tradition in Kathakali. The Kathakali artist Champakkulam Paachu Pillai, who was known for his performance in thaadi and kaththi roles in Kathakali, was his elder brother. Bheeman Paramu Pillai alias Unda Paramu Pillai, a court dancer (kathakali) of Travancore was his maternal grandfather.

He was born on 24 June 1908, as the second son of Madhavi Amma and Kaippilli Sankara Pillai, in Champakulam, Kuttanad now in Alappuzha district of Kerala. There were many exponents of Kaplingadan style of 'Kathakali' in this family like Champakkulam Paramu Pillai and Champakkulam Shanku Pillai. Great Kathakali master Guru Kunchu Kurup is related to this family.

His initiation to Kathakali arangu (stage) was accidental. When he was a child once he had gone with his paternal uncle for a Kathakali show performed by his troupe. The show was on and at midnight suddenly uncle came to the sleeping boy and did some minimum make up to him to look like a maharshi – a hermit – and asked him to sit on a chair on the stage. He instructed him to hand over the bows and arrows when a man with glittering headgear comes and bestow him. He did exactly as told by uncle. That was Guru Gopinath's first appearance in a Kathakali show.

Great masters of Kathakali like Champakkulam Paramu Pillai, Mathoor Kunjupilla Panicker, and Thakazhi Kesava Panicker at Champakkulam were his teachers for the initial years, where he had undergone training in southern style of acting in kathakali, which gives importance to abhinaya.

Kavalappara Narayanan Nair was his main teacher at 'Kerala Kalamandalam' where he was asked to join as a special student for higher studies in northern style, which gives importance to gestures movements and footsteps. Guru Kunchu Kurup taught him lessons in Abhinaya(acting). Later he went and stayed with Chenganoor Raman Pillai an expert in southern style, to learn more about Kathakali.

Family Guru Gopinath was married to Mulakkal Thankamani Amma, a great Mohiniyattam dancer and exponent of Kerala Natanam. She was the first student of Mohiniyattam at Kerala Kalamandalam in early 30s, when Poet Vallathol Narayana Menon and Manakkulam Mukunda Raja started a course to revive this dying art form. After marriage she became co-dancer and partner of Gopinath. Her relentless support of her husband was significant to his achievement.

They had four children. Their eldest daughter is Vasanthi Jayaswal, a dancer and social worker. She is an exponent of Kerala Natanam & Bharatanatyam and is a teacher of shastras in USA. Their second daughter was Vilasini Ramachandran, a Senior I.A.S. officer in Gujarat (She died on 5 March 2015). The youngest daughter Vinodini Sasimohan was a child artist in Malayalam movies in the 60s and she is now the Chief Administrative Officer of Viswa Kala Kendra, Trivandrum. G. Venugopal is his only son.

Kerala Natanam (Kerala Dance) He made "Kathakali" more accessible to teachers, students and audience. He brought some innovative changes to make a new style of dancing from this ancient dance form known as 'Oriental dance', 'Kathakali Natanam' and later 'Kerala Natanam' (Keralanatanam), without sacrificing its essence and classicism.

Kerala Natanam can be called a stylised form of Kathakali. Guru Gopinath developed his own style that was appealing to the masses who were then devoid of art and dance, without compromising on the classical background. He never tried to reform Kathakali and to tamper with the originality and purity it possessed.

He was instrumental to bring Kathakali out from the courtyards of upper class Brahmins and Nairs and rajas and dance chambers of temples to the masses. His performances created a dance wave in Kerala, which had reprecations all over India in thirties and forties

Ordinary people in India, who had no training knowledge in understanding classical dance started enjoying it and appreciating it, only after they had the opportunity of watching Gopinath perform.

Ramlila and Ramayana ballet Guru Gopinath was an exponent of various styles of Indian dances. The illustrious 'Raam Leela' of Delhi, choreographed and directed by him was its glorious proof. His last choreography 'Ramaayana' ballet was the most popular one, which was staged more than 1500 times in various parts of Kerala..

Books Guru Gopinath has written books in Malayalam and English, which explain theory and practise of Indian and Kerala dances. Two books are in English- The classical Dance poses of India and Abinaya Prakashika (with Sanskrit slokas).

Other books are:

Kathakali Natanam (kathakali dancing) Natanakairali (Kerala dance) Thalavum Natanavum (rhythm and dancing) Abhinayamkuram (The beginning of Acting) Abhinaya prakashika (The Expressions of Acting)

## Thankamani Gopinath

[edit]

Mangat Mulaykkal Thankamani, known by her married name Thankamani Gopinath (27 March 1918 – 28 December 1990) was a prominent Indian Mohiniyattam dancer and dance teacher from Kerala.[1] The wife and co-dancer of Guru Gopinath, she was the first student of Mohiniyattam from Kalamandalam. Thankamani is considered as one of the important icons in the history of women's progress in Kerala, who learned Mohiniyattam at a time when learning and performing dance was considered unethical for girls in Kerala. She has also starred and sang a song in the 1941 Malayalam movie Prahlada.[2]

Biography Thankamani was born on 27 March 1918 at Kunnamkulam in present-day Thrissur district. Here parents were Panthalat Govindan Nair and Mangat Mulakkal Kunjikavamma. When Vallathol started Kalamandalam, she was the first Mohiniyattam student to enroll there.[3]

She married to Guru Gopinath in September 1936. Thangamani became one of the earliest actresses in Malayalam after she played the role of Kayathu in Prahlada (1941), the third Malayalam sound film alongside her husband Guru Gopinath.[4] Along with being the female lead, she also sang in the film. After the marriage Thangamani gradually stopped dancing Mohiniyattam. Together, they developed and popularized an innovative dance style called Kerala Natanam (originally named Kathakali Natanam).[5] Thankamani's Pantadi dance and Udyana Varnana together with the dances of Radhakrishna, Sivaparvati, Lakshmi Narayana and Sita of Ashokavana she performed with Guru Gopinath were once popular in South India.[6]

Thangamani taught dance at Sree Chitrodaya Dance College, which was the first dance school in Travancore. She was the teacher of most of the early students who learned Kerala Natanam like Lalitha, Padmini, Ragini, Bhavani Chellappan, Mangala and Lakshmi.[7]

Guru Gopinath-Thangamani Gopinath was one of the most popular dance pairs in India during the 1940s and 1950s. Thangamani, who left the dance stage in the late 1960s became a member of the Vishwa Kala Kendram Bharana Samiti in Vattiyoorkavu, Thiruvananthapuram. She died on 28 December 1990, three years after the death of Guru Gopinath.[8]

## Prominent artists

[edit]

### Guru Chandrasekharan (1916–1998)

[edit]

Guru Chandrasekharan was a great Indian dancer and choreographer who was born in Trivandrum, Kerala in 1916. His father was NK Nair (Kunju Krishna Kurup), a notable oil painter. While studying at the university, he started practicing dance without informing his parents. He studied Kathakali dance under the guidance of Guru Gopinath. During that period, Gopinath received royal patronage from the Travancore palace and a dance school named Sri Chithrodaya Nartha Kalalayam was established by the government at Poojappura, Travancore. Chandrasekharan was one of the first students. After some time, Chandrasekharan learnt Kathakali under Nedumudi Narayana Kurup who was also a palace kathakali artiste. Later, he organized his own troupe and conducted performances around India. Social themes were rarely used in classical dances at the time. He has directed and choreographed several social themes in dance.

In 1943, on an invitation from the government, he took his troupe to Alexandria, Egypt; the Middle East; and Italy for military entertainment as the Indian Army was engaged in World War II. At the close of the war in 1946, he again tried to go to East Asia, but the tour ended in Ceylon.

He has served as a dance professor at Shantiniketan, West Bengal, as a member of the Kerala University Senate, Board of Director at Kerala Kalamandalam governing body, Advisory Committee member Malayalam Encyclopedia, visiting dance professor of Swathi Thirunal College of Music, and as a founder member of the director board of the Bala Bhavan, Trivandrum.

In the late forties, at the insistence of some of his friends, he composed and presented the 'Voice of Travancore,' a political theme in dance form, which depicted the autocratic rule of the Dewan, Sir CP Ramaswamy Iyer and people's movement of resistance thereon. However, Sir CP was an admirer of Chandrasekharan's art. However, Chandrasekharan received his highest appreciation in the All India Educational Conference held at Trivandrum in 1946.

According to the report:

> "The Nataraja Thandava was presented in a remarkable manner by Chandrasekharan. When he presented the Hunter Dance, his joy of being the monarch of all he surveyed in the forest was vividly perceivable. He aroused tragic sentiments to a remarkable extent while he was experiencing suicidal agony as he was bitten by a snake. As he entered 'Ardhanareeswara,' here the body was responding to a double call of vigour and grace. It was perhaps more than what an Uday Shankar could do."

Another composition of his is 'Polinja Deepam' (the light that failed) depicting the sad end of Mahatma Gandhi, which he played in 1948.

In 1949 he joined in the Viswabharathi University (Shantiniketan) as a professor of Kathakali dance. During this time, he composed and portrayed Rabindranath Tagore's famous dance dramas, Chitrangada, Chandalika, etc. in cities of North India including New Delhi and Calcutta. In Viswabharathi, he had the opportunity to get acquainted with many dance forms including those from Kandi, Bali, Burma, etc. During this period in Shantiniketan, he got acquainted with Prof. Humayun Kabir, Zakir Hussain (Former President of India) who were then frequent visitors of Shantiniketan. All these great personalities praised Chandrasekharan for his talent in performing art: "Chandrasekharan has great expressiveness and was able to communicate shades of feeling with subtlety and power. His sense of rhythm and dramatic interpretation marks him out as an artist of distinction."

Poet Harindranth Chatopadhyaya wrote to him on 21 February 1952:

> "Courage is this that single willed, unaided lone you build and build
>  Which shows you have the spirits pluck, so from the heart I wish you luck."

SK George, a Gandhian disciple and a former director of Deenabandhu Bhavan, Shantiniketan, said about him:

> "Sri Chandrasekharan was one of the best teachers of Art that Shantiniketan has had and did much to rouse interest in its study among students from various parts of the country. He delighted visitors to Shantiniketan from all parts of the world during his stay there, by the finished technique of his art and has received glowing testimonials from many of them, including delegates to the World Pacifist meeting. In Gurudev's dance dramas like 'Chandalika,' 'Chitrangada' and 'Syama' presented in Shantiniketan and outside, he took the leading parts."

After a couple of years, he came back from Viswabharathi and started his own school at Trivandrum in the name Prathibha Nrithakala Kendra. During 1954, he performed Thilakkunna Mannu (Simmering Sand) that had a social theme advocating agrarian revolution. It has received wide acclamation from celebrated persons like President Rajendra Prasad and Dr. Radhakrishnan.

Chandrasekharan's creative contributions include such compositions as 'Voice of Travancore,' 'Manishada,' 'Siva Thandavam,' 'Ganesh Nritham,' 'Ardhanareeswara,' 'Surya Nritham,' 'Geethopadesam,' Kalidasa's 'Kumara Sambhavam,' 'Sakunthalam,' Kumaran Asan's 'Chandala Bhikshuki,' Vallathol's 'Magdalana Maria,' 'Guruvum Sishyanum,' Vayalar's 'Ayisha,' Changampuzha's 'Ramanan' and 'Markandeyan,' 'Mohini Rugmangada,' 'Savithri,' 'Dakshayagam,' 'Ekalavyan,' 'Chilappadikaram,' Greek story 'Pygmalion,' Chinese story 'Fisherman's Revenge,' Japanese story 'Esashiyuvo' (Prapidiyan Pathalathil), Bible story 'Salome' and many more. He successfully composed and performed several ballets such as 'Sri Guruvayurappan,' 'Kumara Sambhavam,' 'Sri Ayyappan,' 'Hrishya Sringan' and 'Sri Hanuman.'

He produced another ballet named Himavante Makkal (Children of the Himalayas) in 1964 on the background of the India's history, which concluded with the Chinese attack on India in 1962. After seeing it, VV Giri, then governor of Kerala, was so happy that he invited Chandrasekharan to Raj Bhavan and honored him. Here is an extract from his complimentary remarks.

> "I am delighted to witness the performance of a dance drama based on National Integration presented by Pratibha Nrithakala Kendra, Trivandrum, and directed by the famous and distinguished dancer Chandrasekharan. This play describes the various periods through which we have passed from Vedic period up to the present day. It is a most thought provoking play and one who attends this show will feel enthused and inspired and would strengthen his spirit of patriotism and love of sacrifice for his country."

In 1965, Chandrasekharan composed an opera which was the first of its kind in Malayalam as well as in any other Indian language. The opera was based on the Mahabharata character Karnan. Chandrasekharan himself played the role of Karna while nearly hundred others took part in it, which was presented in Trivandrum for more than a month. The opera was produced by Kala Nilayam permanent Theatres. Chandrasekharan later started his own permanent stage called Prathibha Opera House and produced another opera entitled 'Bhishmar' on the Mahabharata hero which was an artistic success, but financially a flop, which forced him to withdraw from the scene partly. However, he continued his activities till 1980.

At a public meeting in connection with his Shashtiabdapurthi (60th birthday) at Hassan Marrikar Hall, Trivandrum, under the chairmanship of Prof. Ayappa Panicker, he was conferred the title of 'Guru' by the public of Trivandrum. He was honoured with an award by Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy in 1976. Chandrasekharan has written several articles in periodicals about dances of India. His book on Bharatanatyam titled Natiya Nirishanam is a masterpiece: the culmination of a research work done with a Fellowship Award from the Cultural Department, government of India.

#### Personal life

[edit]

Chandrasekharan married Mohanavalli Amma of Kalappurakkal family, Alangad Paravur, daughter of Gopala Panicker, assistant superintendent of police of former Travancore State. His wife took active participation in dance presentations. He died on 5 August 1998 at the age of 82.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ https://www-keralainfo-in.translate.goog/art-forms/details/kerala-natanam.html?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=ml&_x_tr_hl=ml&_x_tr_pto=tc[permanent dead link] [bare URL]
2. ^ "About Guru Gopinath Natanagramam | Learn Indian Dance Forms". Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.

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