Chandralekha (dancer)

Chandralekha
Born	December 6, 1928(1928-12-06) Wada, Maharashtra, British India
Died	December 30, 2006(2006-12-30) (aged 78) Chennai, India

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.

Early life and education

She was born to an agnostic doctor father and a devout Hindu mother in Wada, Maharashtra. She spent her childhood in her native Gujarat and in Maharashtra.^[1]

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 Balasaraswati and Rukmini Devi Arundale in her dance education, but her choreography shows that she was more influenced by the former.^[1] 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.^[2][3]

Awards and recognition

• 1991: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award: Creative Dance
• 2003-2004: Kalidas Samman^[4]
• 2004: Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Chandralekha: Controversial Indian dancer whose ideas challenged convention". London: The Guardian. 9 February 2007. http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2007/feb/09/guardianobituaries.india. Retrieved 30 November 2009. 
2. ^ Dunning, Jennifer (7 January 2007). "Chandralekha, 79, Dancer Who Blended Indian Forms, Dies". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/arts/07chandralekha.html. Retrieved 30 November 2009. 
3. ^ Barnes, Clive (21 November 1998). "HANDSOME 'RAGA'-BAG OF THESES". New York Post. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nypost/access/68457787.html?dids=68457787:68457787&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+21%2C+1998&author=Clive+Barnes&pub=New+York+Post&desc=HANDSOME+%27RAGA%27-BAG+OF+THESES&pqatl=google. Retrieved 30 November 2009. 
4. ^ "'Kalidas Samman' for Chandralekha". The Hindu. October 19, 2003. http://www.hinduonnet.com/2003/10/19/stories/2003101900711100.htm. 
5. ^ "Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Sadasya (Fellowship)". Sangeet Natak Akademi. http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/fellowslist.htm. 

External Links

• Archive film of Chandralekha performing Yanta in 1994 at Jacob's Pillow

Persondata
Name	Chandralekha
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	6 December 1928
Place of birth	Wada, Maharashtra, British India
Date of death	30 December 2006
Place of death	Chennai, India