Kedar Nath Sahoo | |
---|---|
Born | Seraikella, Jharkhand, India |
Died | 8 October 2008 Kansari tola, Jharkahnd, India |
Occupation | Classical dancer |
Known for | Chhau dance |
Children | five sons and four daughters |
Awards | Padma Shri Sangeet Natak Akademi Award |
Kedar Nath Sahoo was an Indian classical dancer, known as one of the leading exponents of the Seraikella tradition of Chhau dance. [1] [2] [note 1] He served as the founder director of the Government Chhau Dance Centre (Chhau Nritya Kala Kendra) of the Government of Jharkhand [4] where he served from 1974 to 1988. [5] During the early stages of his career, he performed with the troupe led by Kumar Bijay Pratap Singh Deo, but later led his own group of dancers for performance in many places in India and abroad including Eastern Europe, South America and Southeast Asia. His students included many notable dancers [6] like Sharon Lowen, Gopal Prasad Dubey [7] [8] and Shashadhar Acharya. [9] He was a recipient of the 1981 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award [10] and the Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2005, for his contributions to arts. [11] Towards the latter part of his life, his health failed [12] and he died on 8 October 2008 at his home in Kansari tola, aged 88, survived by his wife, five sons and four daughters. [13]
Kelucharan Mohapatra was a legendary Indian classical dancer, guru, and exponent of Odissi dance, who is credited with the revival and popularizing of this classical dance form in the 20th century. He is the first person to receive the Padma Vibhushan from Odisha.
Indian classical dance or Shastriya Nritya is an umbrella term for various performance arts rooted in Hindu musical theatre styles, whose theory and practice can be traced to the Sanskrit text Natya Shastra. The number of classical dances range from eight to more, depending on the source and scholar. The Sangeet Natak Academy recognizes eight – Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Sattriya, Manipuri and Mohiniyattam. Scholars such as Drid Williams add Chhau, Yakshagana and Bhagavata Mela to the list. Additionally, the Indian Ministry of Culture includes Chhau in its classical list. These dances are traditionally regional. They consist of compositions in Hindi, Malayalam, Meitei (Manipuri), Sanskrit, Tamil, Odia, Telugu, or any other Indian language and they represent a unity of core ideas in a diversity of styles, costumes and expression. Currently, there are 9 official classical dances in India.
Chhau dance, also spelled Chhou dance, is a semi classical Indian dance with martial and folk traditions. It is found in three styles named after the location where they are performed, i.e. the Mayurbhanj Chhau of Odisha, the Seraikella Chhau of Jharkhand, and the Purulia Chhau of West Bengal.
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