Adyar K. Lakshman is a noted India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n Bharatnatyam dancer, choreographer and guru.

Early life

Born on 16 December 1933, Adyar K. Lakshman hails from Kuppam

Kuppam

Kuppam is a census town in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. It is 105 km from Bangalore and 250 km from Chennai by rail. It is known for its granite quarries and a granite variety, Kuppam Green, is named after the town. Kuppam has now become an educational hub with an engineering...

 in Chittoor district

Chittoor district

Chittoor District , also known as Chittur, is a district of India's Andhra Pradesh state. The district headquarters is Chittoor City. The district has a population of 4,170,468 according to 2011 census of India. Chittoor district is famous for the Tirupati, Kanipakam and Sri Kalahasti temples...

 of Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...

. His father, Krishnaraja Rao, was posted there as a school teacher. Shri. Lakshman and his brother Shri. Rama Rao were discovered at a young age by Shri. P.D. Doraiswamy Iyer, a representative of Smt. 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....

, the founder of the world acclaimed fine arts college Kalakshetra

Kalakshetra

Kalakshetra is a cultural academy dedicated to the preservation of traditional values in Indian art, especially in the field of Bharatanatyam dance and Gandharvaveda music. The academy was founded in January 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale. Under Arundale's guidance the institution achieved national...

. The young boys showed unusual musical and rhythmic talent, and were offered a thorough education in the Fine Arts. Shri. Lakshman’s father was only too happy to accept the offer made by Kalakshetra.

Early education and training

Shri. Adyar Lakshman began his education at Kalakshetra in 1944 at the young age of 11 years. He underwent rigorous training in vocal music, Bharatha Natyam, Mridangam and Nattuvangam under the able tutelage of eminent teachers. He had the good fortune to receive his early training and exposure to the Classical arts from Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale herself. He has also been closely associated with other great masters in the field, including Mylapore Gowri Ammal, K. Dandayuthapani Pillai, S. Saradha, Tiger Varadachari, Budalur Krishnamoorthy Sastrigal, T. K. Ramaswamy Iyengar, Mysore Vasudevacharya, Tanjore Rajagopala Iyer, V. Vital, Kamalarani, and Karaikudi Muthu Iyer. Eventually, he graduated in 1954 from Kalashetra in Bharatanatyam, Carnatic music

Carnatic music

Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...

 and nattuvangam; though stayed on in Kalakshetra, and received a Government of India scholarship, and went on to received a post-graduate diploma in 1956.

Thereafter he went on to specialise in mridangam and also learnt Kathakali

Kathakali

Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...

 from Ambu Panicker, and Chandu Panicker. Subsequently he was casted by Rukmini Devi in prominent Kalakshetra productions like, "Kumara Sambhavam", "Kutrala Kuravanji", "Sita Swayamvaram" and "Usha Parinayam", based on the Melattur Bhagavata Mela tradition.

Career

Lakshman's first ventured into teaching outside Kalakshetra in Vyjayantimala Bali's school, Natyalaya. Here over period of more than a decade, he conducted over ten arangetrams, assisted in productions like "Tiruppavai", "Azhagar Kuravanji", "Chandalika" and "Sanga Tamil Malai".

Academy

Founded the Bharatha Choodamani Academy of Fine arts on August 22, 1969. He has trained a wide variety of dancers and many professionals and produced dance drama productions like "Varunapuri Kuravanji", "Aiychiar Kuravai," etc. He has also choreographed classical dance sequences in films like "Hamsa Geethe", "Subba Sastri" and "Ananda Tandavam".

Awards

Shri. Adyar Lakshman has received several awards for his outstanding contribution to the art of Bharatha Nayam, as a dance guru, choreographer, composer and nattuvanar. He received the Padma Shri

Padma Shri

Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...

 award from the president of India in 1989, and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

Sangeet 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...

 (Bharatnatyam) in 1991 by 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 of Music Dance & Drama.

External links

• Adyar K. Lakshman, webpage