Sunanda Nair

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Sunanda Nair
Mohiniattam performance by Sunanda Nair.jpg
Born
Education University of Mumbai (PhD)
Occupation(s)Founder/Director, Sunanda's Performing Arts Center
Career
Dances
Website www.sunandanair.com

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. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Nair took her initial training in Bharatanatyam at age six. She studied in Kathakali under Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Warrier.

Nair is a disciple of noted Mohiniattam exponent Kanak Rele, credited for the revival and popularisation of this classical Kerala dance style.

Nair was the first student to earn a master's degree in Mohiniattam. She was a student of Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalay at the University of Mumbai where she completed her Master's. She completed a seven-year course in five years. The institution is the closest to the guru Kula Sampradaya.

She has a bachelor's degree in commerce from University of Mumbai,  Bachelors & Masters in Performing Arts, from University of Mumbai.  She also holds a PhD in dance from University of Mumbai - Research thesis in Mohiniattam titled "The Intrinsic Lyrical Feminism in Mohiniattam" [ citation needed ]

Career

Ph.D in Dance (Mohini Attam)- Research thesis in Mohini Attam titled "The Intrinsic Lyrical Feminism in Mohini Attam", University of Mumbai September 2016, under the guidance of Padmabhushan Dr. Kanak Rele.jpg

After graduating, she joined the staff at Nalanda and was a lecturer at her alma mater for nine years until 1999. She passed her Net exam, a UGC requirement to continue teaching at Nalanda.

She has given many performances.

She studied from masters like Kalaimamani Kadirvelu, Kalaimamani Mahalingam Pillai, T.V.Sounderajan, Dipak Majumdar, and Tejiswini Rao in Kattumanar Muthukumar Pillai's bani.

In 1980, while in high school, she started the Srutilaya Institute of Fine Arts which trains students in both Mohiniattam and Bharatanatyam.

SPARC is now in its 10th year of operation in the US. At SPARC, the rich tradition of Indian Classical Dance is passed to new dancers.[ citation needed ]

Performances

Sunanda Nair is one of the leading exponents of Mohiniattam in the country today. Dr. Sunanda Nair is one of the leading exponents of Mohiniattam in the country today.jpg
Sunanda Nair is one of the leading exponents of Mohiniattam in the country today.

Recognition

Receiving Kalasree Award by Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi in 2011 Receiving Kalasree Award by Kerala Sangeetha Natak Akademi in 2011.jpg
Receiving Kalasree Award by Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi in 2011

See also

References

  1. Srikanth, Rupa (27 December 2018). "Sunanda Nair shows the essence of the 'Nalanda Bani'". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  2. "Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award: Dance". Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 26 February 2023.