Chandralekha (dancer)
Encyclopedia
Chandralekha Prabhudas Patel (6 December 1928 – 30 December 2006), commonly known as just Chandralekha, was a dancer and choreographer from India. She was an exponent of performances fusing Bharatanatyam
with martial arts like Kalarippayattu
.
She was conferred the highest award of the Sangeet Natak Akademi
, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
in 2004.
mother in Wada
, Maharashtra
. She spent her childhood in her native Gujarat and in Maharashtra.
and Rukmini Devi Arundale
in her dance education, but her choreography shows that she was more influenced by the former. Although Chandralekha received her early training in Bharatanatyam
, she went on to change her focus to postmodern fusion dances that incorporated elements from other dances, martial arts like Kalarippayattu
, and performing arts.
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
with martial arts like Kalarippayattu
Kalarippayattu
Kalaripayattu is a southern Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu but also practiced in contiguous parts of Kerala and Karnataka.Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods...
.
She was conferred the highest award of the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, also, Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Sadasya is an honour for the performing arts in India...
in 2004.
Early life and education
She was born to an agnostic doctor father and a devout HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
mother in Wada
Wada
-Wada , a Japanese family name:* Wada Yoshimori , a samurai of the Kamakura Period* Akiko Wada, a Japanese singer* Juhn Atsushi Wada, a Japanese-Canadian neurologist* Kazuhiro Wada, a Japanese baseball player...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. She spent her childhood in her native Gujarat and in Maharashtra.
Career
After completing high school, Chandralekha studied law, but quit her studies midway to learn dance instead. She started with Dasi Attam, a form of dance practiced by temple dancers in southern India, under the tutelage of Ellappa Pillai. She was also influenced by BalasaraswatiBalasaraswati
Balasaraswati was a celebrated Indian dancer, and her rendering of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance style, made this style of dancing of south India well known in different parts of India, as also many parts of the world....
and Rukmini Devi Arundale
Rukmini Devi Arundale
Rukmini Devi Arundale was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatnatyam, and also an activist for animal rights and welfare....
in her dance education, but her choreography shows that she was more influenced by the former. Although Chandralekha received her early training in Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
, she went on to change her focus to postmodern fusion dances that incorporated elements from other dances, martial arts like Kalarippayattu
Kalarippayattu
Kalaripayattu is a southern Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu but also practiced in contiguous parts of Kerala and Karnataka.Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods...
, and performing arts.
Awards and recognition
- 1991: Sangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
: Creative Dance - 2003-2004: Kalidas SammanKalidas sammanThe Kalidas Samman is a prestigious arts award presented annually by the government of Madhya Pradesh in India. The award is named after Kālidāsa, a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer of ancient India, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language.The Kalidas Samman...
- 2004: Sangeet Natak Akademi FellowshipSangeet Natak Akademi FellowshipThe Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, also, Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Sadasya is an honour for the performing arts in India...