Rekha Raju | |
|---|---|
 Raju performing Mohiniyattam | |
| Born | 10 April, (age 36 years ) |
| Education | PhD in Fine Arts |
| Alma mater | Bangalore University |
| Occupation(s) | Dancer, Choreographer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam |
| Website | rekharaju |
Rekha Raju is an Indian classical dance performer and teacher from Bangalore, Karnataka. She specialises in the Bharatnatyam and Mohiniyattam dance forms. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Rekha was born in Palakkad district, Kerala to M.R.Raju, a theatre artiste, and Jayalakshmi Raghavan and brought up in Bangalore. She started learning classical dance at the age of four. She trained intensively under various gurus, including Kalamandalam Usha Datar, Raju Datar, Gopika Varma and Janardhanan. [9] She started her college education pursuing a degree in commerce, while she studied Administration in Human Resource & Accounts and Performing of Art for her master's degree. [10] She completed her Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Heidelberg University, Germany. She is a distinction holder of master's degree in Bharathnatyam and rank holder of the Vidwath [proficiency]. [11] [12]
She made her stage debut (Arangetram) in 2003 at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bangalore. [13] [14] [15] She has been performing on various stages in India and abroad from the age of four and performed as a soloist for many respected institutions of dance in India, including Yuva Sourabha, organized by the Kannada Culture Department, programme at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Institute of World Culture, Delhi International Festival, Poona Dance Festival, Kajuraho Dance Festival, Konark Dance Festival, Purana Quila, Chennai Seasonal Dance Festival, Chidambaram Dance Festival, Vishwa Kannada Sammelan at Belgaum, Andhra Music & Dance Festival etc. She has received much critical acclaim for both her solo and group choreography. [16] [17] [18] [19] Presently Raju is working as an assistant dance teacher at Bangalore Tamil Sangam and as a guest lecturer in dance at the International Center for Management & Indian Studies where the foreign students trained to improvise Indian culture. [20] [21] [ clarification needed ] She is an auditioned artiste at the Bangalore Doordarshan and an empanelled artiste for the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She also heads a dance institution named Nrithya Dhama, where she trains kids from minority backgrounds, and is also associated with the Freedom Foundation, a volunteer group that rehabilitates children with HIV. [22] [23] Raju has participated at the Tanjore Dance Festival where 1000 dancers performed, securing entrance in the Limca Book of Records. [24] [25] [26] She has been honoured by the Bangolre Tamil sangam as the Best Young Dancer to promote Indian Art. She has also been given the title Swarna Mukhi by the Kalahalli Temple Trust. [27] [28]
Sunanda Nair is an Indian dancer trained in Mohiniattam. She did her master's degree in this dance form from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya affiliated to the University of Mumbai. She has completed her PhD from University of Mumbai for her thesis "Intrinsic Lyrical Feminism in Mohiniattam". She was born in Mumbai, India.
"Bombay" Jayashri Ramnath is an Indian Carnatic vocalist, singer, and musician. She has sing in multiple languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi movies. Born into a family of musicians, Jayashri represents the fourth generation of music practitioner's in her family. Trained by Lalgudi Jayaraman and T.R. Balamani, she was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, in 2021. She has become one of the most sought-after Carnatic musicians today.
Alarmel Valli is a leading Indian classical dancer and choreographer and the foremost exponent of the Pandanallur style in the Indian classical dance form, Bharatanatyam. She is widely acclaimed for her ability to turn traditional grammar into deeply internalized, personal dance poetry.
Sundari K. Shridharani was the founder and director of Triveni Kala Sangam, a multi-arts institution, which she established in 1950.
Moodu Pani is a 1980 Indian Tamil-language psychological thriller film written, directed and filmed by Balu Mahendra. Starring his then wife Shoba and Pratap, with N. Viswanathan, Gandhimathi, Mohan and Bhanu Chander in supporting roles, it is based on two novels: Idhuvum Oru Viduthalai Thaan (1978) by Rajendra Kumar, and The Collector (1963) by John Fowles. The film follows Chandru (Pratap), who has a strong hatred towards prostitutes and would kill any such woman he encounters. He falls in love with Rekha (Shoba) and believes marrying her will end his psychological distress.
Mythili Prakash is an American dancer and choreographer specializing in Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form originating in Southern India. Recognized as one of the world’s leading young exponents of Bharatanatyam, her classical, yet inventive approach revitalizes the physicality, musicality and expressive theatricality of the dance to create an exceptional style that is distinct and meaningful to audiences across the world. In Life of Pi, she made a cameo appearance at the film's conclusion as the titular character's wife and mother of their children.
]
B. Jayashree is a veteran Indian theatre actress, director and singer, who has also acted in films and television and worked as dubbing artist in films. She is the creative director of Spandana Theatre, an amateur theatre company based in Bangalore, established in 1976.
Parshwanath Upadhye is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and teacher. He is trained in the traditional Mysore style of Bharatanatyam.
Masterpiece is a 2015 Indian Kannada-language action film written and directed by Manju Mandavya. Pavan Ranadheera who happens to be Yash's friend has written the story and joined his hands for screenplay. This film was released on 24 December 2015, starring Yash and Shanvi Srivastava in the lead roles, it also features Suhasini Maniratnam, P. Ravi Shankar and Chikkanna in the supporting roles, the music is composed by V. Harikrishna. The film was released on 24 December 2015.
Aparna B. Marar is an Indian classical dancer, organiser, art educator, choreographer and singer. She is also an engineer with a postgraduate degree in wireless communication engineering from PSG College of Technology. She has received numerous honours including the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy's Yuva Prathibha Award, Calicut University's Kalathilakam Award, and a national scholarship by Ministry of Culture.
Deepa Sashindran is an Indian artist and a disciple of the Kuchipudi expert Smt. Manju Bhargavi. She is a performing artist, teacher of the Indian classical dance form Kuchipudi, choreographer, art curator, entrepreneur, and the founder of Kuchipudi Parampara Foundation Trust Bangalore.
Sreelakshmy Govardhanan, is a Kuchipudi artist from India. She is the disciple of Guru Sri Pasumarthy Rattaiaha Sarma.
Vasundhara Doraswamy is the founder and director of Vasundhara Performing Arts Centre, Mysore (India). She is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, and guru (teacher). She is also one of the disciples of the late Shri Pattabhi Jois in the discipline of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and has developed her own subdomain in Vasundhara Style.
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.
Kalaimamani Shri Guru Madurai R. Muralidaran is an acclaimed dance Guru (teacher), composer, dancer, choreographer, lyricist, playwright and director best known for his large body of modern compositions for Bharatanatyam dancers and his many elaborate dance musical productions. His works explore the complexities of Bharathanatyam theory and rhythms while remaining accessible and appealing to a modern lay audience.
Madhu Nataraj is an Indian classical, contemporary dancer and choreographer who lives in Bangalore. She is the director of the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography and founded its performing wing STEM (Space.Time.Energy.Movement) Dance Kampni.
Meenakshi Srinivasan is an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, and an exponent of the Pandanallur style of Bharatnatyam. She trained under Alarmel Valli and is considered among the most promising soloists of the younger generation of dancers in this traditional style.
Mithun Shyam is an Indian Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer and teacher based in Bengaluru. He has contributed to social and gender-based themes through classical dance.
