Kalakshetra Foundation

Last updated

Kalakshetra Foundation
Kalakshetra logo.jpg
Location
Kalakshetra Foundation
Besant Nagar, Chennai, India
Coordinates 12°59′17″N80°15′54″E / 12.9881°N 80.26500°E / 12.9881; 80.26500
Information
EstablishedJanuary 1936;88 years ago (January 1936)
Founder Rukmini Devi Arundale
Chairman S. Ramadorai [1]
DirectorSuresh Kumar Chikkala
Website www.kalakshetra.in

Kalakshetra Foundation, formerly simply Kalakshetra, [2] is an arts and cultural academy dedicated to the preservation of traditional values in Indian art and crafts, especially in the field of Bharatanatyam dance and Gandharvaveda music. Based in Chennai, India, the academy was founded in January 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale and her husband George Arundale. Under Arundale's guidance, the institution achieved national and international recognition for its unique style and perfectionism. In 1962, Kalakshetra moved to a new 40-hectre campus in Besant Nagar, Chennai. [3]

Contents

In January 1994, an Act of the Parliament of India recognised the Kalakshetra Foundation as an "Institute of National Importance." [4] [5] The current Chairman of Kalakshetra is S. Ramadorai [6] and the current director is Revathi Ramachandran. [7]

History

Rukmini Devi Arundale, founder of Kalakshetra Rukmini Devi.jpg
Rukmini Devi Arundale, founder of Kalakshetra
A music classroom at Kalakshetra Secretary Clinton Visits a Music Classroom.jpg
A music classroom at Kalakshetra

Kalakshetra, later known as the Kalakshetra Foundation, was established by Rukmini Devi Arundale, along with her husband, George Arundale, a well-known theosophist, in Adyar, Chennai, in 1936. She invited not only the best students but also noted teachers, musicians and artists to be a part of this institution. [8] In 1944, the University of Madras granted its affiliation for conducting diploma courses in Music, Dance and Painting & Crafts.

Year-long celebrations, including lectures, seminars and festivals marked her 100th birth anniversary, on 29 February 2004, at Kalakshetra and elsewhere in many parts of the world. [9] Also on 29 February, a photo exhibition on her life opened at the Lalit Kala Gallery in New Delhi, and President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam released a photo-biography, written and compiled by Sunil Kothari, with a foreword by former president Ramaswamy Venkataraman. [10] [11] [12] In 2016, marking its 80th year, the Kalakshetra Foundation held a 'Remembering Rukmini Devi’ festival of music and dance. [13]

Kalakshetra style

Having studied the Pandanallur style for three years, in 1936 Rukmini Devi Arundale started working on developing her own, Kalakshetra, style of Bharatanatyam. She introduced group performances and staged various Bharatanatyam-based ballets.

Bharatanatyam performance at Kalakshetra, during visit of Hillary Clinton, 2011 Secretary Clinton, Leela Samson, and Ambassador Burleigh Enjoy a Bharat Natyam Performance (2).jpg
Bharatanatyam performance at Kalakshetra, during visit of Hillary Clinton, 2011

The Kalakshetra style is noted for its angular, straight, ballet-like kinesthetics, and its avoidance of Recakas and of the uninhibited throw (Ksepa) of the limbs.[ citation needed ]

According to Sankara Menon (1907–2007), who was her associate from Kalakshetra's beginnings, [14] Rukmini Devi raised Bharatanatyam to a puritan art form, divorced from its recently controversial past by "removing objectionable elements" (mostly, the Sringara , certain emotional elements evocative of the erotic, such as hip, neck, lip and chest movements) from the Pandanallur style, which was publicly criticized by Indian dancer Tanjore Balasaraswati (1918–1984) and other representatives of Tamil Nadu's traditional Isai Velalar culture. Love outside parameters considered "chaste" was not to be portrayed. Balasaraswati said that "the effort to purify Bharatanatyam through the introduction of novel ideas is like putting a gloss on burnished gold or painting the lotus". Lawyer and classical artist E. Krishna Iyer (1897–1968) said about Rukmini Devi, "There is no need to say that before she entered the field, the art was dead and gone or that it saw a renaissance only when she started to dance or that she created anything new that was not there before".

Controversy

In December 2022, allegations of sexual abuse in the campus began to surface after former director Leela Samson wrote a social media post accusing a teacher of harassing and molesting students, but hadn't specified the name of the teacher. In the following months, over a hundred students of Kalakshetra Foundation's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts accused senior faculty member, Hari Padman, of sexual harassment. The accusations spanned a number of years. Padman was exonerated following an internal investigation, and Kalakshetra Foundation issued a gag order preventing students and staff from discussing the allegations. [15] On 21 March 2023, the National Commission for Women began investigating the allegations, [16] but closed the investigation shortly, after a victim denied any sexual harassment during an enquiry. [17] On 30 March, the students began protests against the inaction of the Kalakshetra authorities, by walking out of a routine morning prayer when Padman walked in. [18] The protests prompted a response from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, [19] after which an FIR was registered against Padman by the Tamil Nadu police. The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women also launched an investigation and received over 90 written complaints regarding various issues faced by the students of the foundation. Padman was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police on 3 April 2023. [20] In response, Padman's wife Divya Hari Padman filed a counter complaint against the victim and two teachers working in the institute. [21] Amidst the sexual harassment allegations, students also raised complaints about mismanagement by the foundation director Revathi Ramachandran, referring to the coverup of a food poisoning outbreak in November 2021. [22]

Institutes

Office of Kalakshetra Academy at Besant Nagar Kalakshetra Academy Office.jpg
Office of Kalakshetra Academy at Besant Nagar

Notable alumni

Notable alumni include Radha Burnier, Amala Akkineni, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Sanjukta Panigrahi, C.V. Chandrasekhar, Dhananjayans, Adyar K. Lakshman, Jayashree Narayanan, Kalakshetra Vilasini, Leela Samson, [24] Satyavati Motiram Sirsat, Jaya Thyagarajan, Devoleena Bhattacharjee, and Ananda Shankar Jayant. [25]

Related Research Articles

<i>Bharatanatyam</i> Major form of Indian classical dance

Bharatanatyam is an Indian classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu, India. It is a classical dance form recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas of Hinduism and Jainism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Besant Nagar, Chennai</span> Neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Besant Nagar is an upscale, exclusive residential neighbourhood in South Chennai, India. It is located along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rukmini Devi Arundale</span> Indian dancer and choreographer (1904–1986)

Rukmini Devi Arundale was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, and an activist for animal welfare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yamini Krishnamurthy</span> Indian dancer (1940–2024)

Mungara Yamini Krishnamurthy was an Indian classical dancer recognized for her contributions to Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. She was a recipient of the Padma Shri (1968), Padma Bhushan (2001), Padma Vibhushan (2016) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1977).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Arundale</span> British theosophist (1878–1945)

George Sydney Arundale was a Theosophist, Freemason, president of the Theosophical Society Adyar and a bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church. He was the husband of the Indian dancer Rukmini Devi Arundale.

<i>Bala</i> (1976 film) 1976 Indian film

Bala is a 1976 documentary film made by Satyajit Ray, about a Bharatanatyam dancer, Balasaraswati, fondly known as "Bala". The film was jointly produced by National Centre for the Performing Arts and Government of Tamil Nadu. The thirty-three-minute documentary features the life and some of the works by Balasaraswati in the form of narration and dance, starring herself. At the age of fourteen, Ray had seen a performance of Balasaraswati in Kolkata, then known as "Calcutta", in 1935, when she was seventeen years old.

Adyar K. Lakshman was a noted Indian Bharatnatyam dancer, choreographer and guru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhananjayans</span> Indian dancers

Vannadil Pudiyaveettil Dhananjayan and Shanta Dhananjayan, together known as the Dhananjayans, are an Indian dancing couple who were awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2009.

C. V. Chandrasekhar was an Indian Bharatanatyam dancer, academician, dance scholar, composer, and choreographer. He retired as Head of the Faculty of Performing Arts of M.S. University, Baroda in 1992. Professor Chandrasekhar and wife Jaya Chandrasekhar were one of the best known dancing couples of Bharata Natyam in India, during the 1970s and ’80s. They performed with their daughters Chitra and Manjari. Also, his grandchildren Viraj, Dhenuka, Harshavardhan and Amshuman were of great support to him. He ran his own dance institution, Nrityashree, in Chennai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anita Ratnam</span> Indian classical and contemporary dancer and choreographer

Anita Ratnam is an Indian classical and contemporary dancer and choreographer. Classically trained in Bharat Natyam, she has also received formal training in Kathakali, Mohiniattam, and tai chi and Kalarippayattu, thus creating a dance style which she has coined "Neo Bharatam".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leela Samson</span> Indian choreographer

Leela Samson is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, instructor, writer and actress from India. As a soloist, she is known for her technical virtuosity and has taught Bharatanatyam at Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra in Delhi for many years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mani Krishnaswami</span> Indian Carnatic music vocalist (1930–2002)

Mani Krishnaswami, was a Carnatic music vocalist of Tamil Nadu, India.

Madras Kadiravelu Saroja, was an Indian classical dancer, known for her expertise, as an exponent and as a teacher, in the classical dance form of Bharatanatyam. The Government of India honored her, in 2011, with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her services to the field of art and culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gayatri Sankaran</span> Indian Carnatic musician

Dr. Gayatri Sankaran is an Indian Carnatic musician and vocalist specialising in Carnatic vocals and violin performances. She is a recipient of the Kalaimamani award from Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram, a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu. The Government of India honoured her in 2006 with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for her contributions to music, making her the first visually impaired woman to receive the award.

Meenakshi Chitharanjan, an Indian classical dancer, teacher and choreographer, is known as an exponent of the Pandanallur style of the classical dance form of Bharatanatyam. She is the founder of Kaladiksha, an institution promoting Bharatanatyam and striving to preserve the Pandanallur tradition. A disciple of the father-son duo of Chokkalingam Pillai and Subbaraya Pillai, she is a recipient of several honours including Kalaimamani Award of the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Natya Kala Sarathi of Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2008, for her contributions to classical dance.

Karaikal Natesa Dhandayudhapani Pillai was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, considered by many as one of the leading exponents of the classical dance form of Bharatanatyam. He was also a teacher and trained multiple performers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ananda Shankar Jayant</span> Indian dancer, choreographer and dance scholar

Ananda Shankar Jayant is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer, scholar and bureaucrat, known for her proficiency in the classical dance forms of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. She is the first woman officer in the Indian Railway Traffic Service on South Central Railway and her 2009 TED talk is ranked among the top twelve Incredible TED talks on cancer. She is a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kalaimamani Award of the Government of Tamil Nadu and Kala Ratna Award of the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2007, for her contributions to arts.

Anjali Mehr was an Indian classical dancer (Bharatnatyam), choreographer and educator. "Anjaliben", as she was called was known for her bold experiments and innovations in Bharatnatyam. As one of the earliest disciples of the legendary Rukmini Devi, and among the first students of the Kalakshetra, she played a vital role in building and strengthening dance-education in India. She was the first Principal of the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan's Sangeet Nartan ShikshapeethArchived 7 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine. In 1951, she became one of the two people to be featured from India in Magnum Photos' global project 'Generation X'. Anjali Mehr is counted amongst the first few post-Independence dance scholars of India.

Kalakshetra Vilasini is an Indian Bharatanatyam dancer from Kerala. Vilasini, who won first place in Bharatanatyam at the Kerala University Youth Festival, is also the first person from Kerala to get admission to the Kalakshetra of renowned dancer Rukmini Devi Arundale. She is the recipient of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in 1995.

References

  1. ↑ "Ex-CEC Gopalaswami new chairman of Kalakshetra Foundation". The Hindu. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "About Kalakshetra / History". Kalakshetra Foundation. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  3. ↑ "Kalashethra", The New York Times, retrieved 3 December 2011
  4. ↑ Kalakshetra Foundation Act 1993 Archived 2010-02-15 at the Wayback Machine , Ministry of Law And Justice.
  5. ↑ "chennaibest.com".
  6. ↑ "Chairman – Kalakshetra Foundation" . Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "Director – Kalakshetra Foundation" . Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  8. ↑ "Early years of Kalakshetra". tamilnation.org.
  9. ↑ "Another centenary celebration". The Hindu . 27 January 2003. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2006.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ↑ "Her spirit still reigns". The Hindu . 22 February 2004. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ↑ "Time to celebrate". The Hindu . 27 February 2003. Archived from the original on 29 August 2004.
  12. ↑ Centenary celebrations nartaki.com
  13. ↑ Santhanam, Radhika (25 February 2016). "Kalakshetra celebrates its 80th year". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  14. ↑ "Guru who inspired love (Sankara Menon's centenary at Kalakshetra)". The Hindu . 28 September 2007. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007.
  15. ↑ "Kalakshetra Chennai has a PoSH problem. Students fume, gag order imposed, art world shaken". The Print. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  16. ↑ "NCW seeks action from Tamil Nadu DGP against Kalakshetra teacher facing sexual harassment charge". The Print. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  17. ↑ "Kalakshetra harassment row: NCW chairperson visits campus, enquires about allegations". The News Minute. 29 March 2023.
  18. ↑ "Chennai's Kalakshetra students protest, call for end to harassment in the campus". The News Minute. 30 March 2023.
  19. ↑ "Tamil Nadu CM Stalin assures of action against those involved in sexual harassment of Kalakshetra students". The Hindu. 31 March 2023.
  20. ↑ "Sexual harassment case: Kalakshetra assistant professor Hari Padman arrested in Chennai". The Times of India. 3 April 2023.
  21. ↑ "Kalakshetra sexual harassment case: Accused Hari Padman's wife files counter complaint". India Today. 6 April 2023.
  22. ↑ "Kalakshetra director covered up a food poisoning outbreak in the middle of the pandemic". The News Minute. 6 April 2023.
  23. ↑ "Kalakshetra lauded for signal contribution to fine arts". The Hindu . 22 December 2007. Archived from the original on 23 December 2007.
  24. ↑ Noted students of Kalakshetra,Archived 2008-03-12 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ↑ "Welcome". Anandashankarjayant.com. Retrieved 3 August 2012.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.