Alarmel Valli
Encyclopedia
Alarmel Valli (born 1956) is an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, and the foremost exponent of the Pandanallur style
Indian classical dance form of Bharatnatyam and also her own distinctive style. She is the founder of 'Dipashikha', a centre for fine arts in Chennai, established in 1984, where she also teaches Bharatnatyam.
In 1991, Alarmel Valli was the youngest dancer to be conferred the President’s award of Padmasri. She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
in 2001 by Sangeet Natak Akademi
, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, followed by Padma Bhushan
by Govt. of India in 2004.
, where she did her schooling from The Sacred Heart Matriculation School, at Church Park, Chennai and later studied at the Stella Maris College, Chennai.
She has trained in the Pandanallur style
of Bharat Natyam under Pandanallur Chokkalingam Pillai and his son Subbaraya Pillai. She has also studied music forms like Padams and Javalis under eminent musician T. Muktha, of the Veena Dhanammal
style of music for many years. She also learnt abhinaya
from Kalanidhi Narayan.
Théâtre de la Ville, in Paris, and has been performing ever since, both in India and aboard.
She also learned Odissi
under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra
and his disciple Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena, and studied classical Tamil literature
anthologies of the 2000 years old, Sangam poetry
. Over the years she has gradually evolved her own distinct style that extended her tradition within the broad framework of classical Bharatanatyam.
Alarmel Valli bases her dance on the principle that Bharatanatyam
is a superbly evocative language, where the dancer who has mastered and internalised the idiom can write her personal dance poetry. In her choreography, drawing on her knowledge of music and the rich, nuanced vocabulary of classical Indian dance, Valli explores the complex layers of meaning in poems and lyrics, giving them a visual and melodic dimension. Trained by great masters, Pandanainallur Sri Chokkalingam Pillai and his son Sri Subbaraya Pillai, she has enriched her dance vocabulary and extended the frontiers of her dance tradition to evolve her own distinctive style, which has been described as “uniquely individualistic…an effortless synchronisation of apparent contradictions – linearity and lyricism, symmetry and sinuosity, precision and poetry”. Her work, while remaining within the framework of classical Indian dance, is contemporary in its interpretation and scope to communicate and has been lauded for creating an international awareness of Bharatanatyam, as a dynamic, continuously evolving, classical dance form.
, by producer Michael Macintyre. Alarmel Valli has also been featured in dance documentaries by noted Indian producers like the late G. Aravindan
and Prakash Jha
, by the BBC (in The Spirit of Asia Series), the Nederlands Broadcasting Company, Arte (France) and Japanese National Television. The Films Division of India commissioned a film on her for the National Archives of India
. Titled ‘Pravahi’, it has been directed by eminent film-maker Arun Khopkar, with cinematography by Madhu Ambat
.
Pandanallur style
The Pandanallur style of Bharata Natyam is mainly attributed to Minakshisundaram Pillai . He was a dance Guru who lived in the village of Pandanallur, which is in the Thanjavur district in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-The teachers:...
Indian classical dance form of Bharatnatyam and also her own distinctive style. She is the founder of 'Dipashikha', a centre for fine arts in Chennai, established in 1984, where she also teaches Bharatnatyam.
In 1991, Alarmel Valli was the youngest dancer to be conferred the President’s award of Padmasri. She was awarded the 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...
in 2001 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 for Music, Dance and Drama, followed by Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
by Govt. of India in 2004.
Early life and education
Alarmel Valli was born and brought up in ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, where she did her schooling from The Sacred Heart Matriculation School, at Church Park, Chennai and later studied at the Stella Maris College, Chennai.
She has trained in the Pandanallur style
Pandanallur style
The Pandanallur style of Bharata Natyam is mainly attributed to Minakshisundaram Pillai . He was a dance Guru who lived in the village of Pandanallur, which is in the Thanjavur district in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-The teachers:...
of Bharat Natyam under Pandanallur Chokkalingam Pillai and his son Subbaraya Pillai. She has also studied music forms like Padams and Javalis under eminent musician T. Muktha, of the Veena Dhanammal
Veena Dhanammal
Veenai Dhanammal was a highly accomplished Carnatic musician, and the torchbearer of the school of Carnatic music that goes by her name. She was both a vocalist and a performer on the veena...
style of music for many years. She also learnt abhinaya
Abhinaya
Abhinaya is a concept in Indian dance and drama derived from Bharata's Natya Shastra. Although now, the word has come to mean 'the art of expression', etymologically it derives from Sanskrit abhi- 'towards' + nii- 'leading/guide', so literally it means a 'leading towards' Aside from its clear...
from Kalanidhi Narayan.
Career
She made her stage debut at an early age of 9 1/2 under the auspices of Indian Institute of Fine Arts, Madras and was conferred the Natya Kala Bhushan award and won her laurels on the International scene when she was barely 16 at the International Dance Festival of Theatre organised by the prestigious Sarah BernhardtSarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage and early film actress, and has been referred to as "the most famous actress the world has ever known". Bernhardt made her fame on the stages of France in the 1870s, and was soon in demand in Europe and the Americas...
Théâtre de la Ville, in Paris, and has been performing ever since, both in India and aboard.
She also learned Odissi
Odissi
Odissi, also spelled Orissi , is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as...
under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra
Kelucharan Mohapatra
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra was an Indian classical dancer, guru and proponent of Odissi dance, who is credited for the revival of the classical dance form in the 20th century....
and his disciple Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena, and studied classical Tamil literature
Tamil literature
Tamil literature refers to the literature in the Tamil language. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution...
anthologies of the 2000 years old, Sangam poetry
Sangam literature
Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years c. 600 BCE to 300 CE. This collection contains 2381 poems composed by 473 poets, some 102 of whom remain anonymous The period during which these poems were composed is commonly referred to as the Sangam...
. Over the years she has gradually evolved her own distinct style that extended her tradition within the broad framework of classical Bharatanatyam.
Alarmel Valli bases her dance on the principle that 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...
is a superbly evocative language, where the dancer who has mastered and internalised the idiom can write her personal dance poetry. In her choreography, drawing on her knowledge of music and the rich, nuanced vocabulary of classical Indian dance, Valli explores the complex layers of meaning in poems and lyrics, giving them a visual and melodic dimension. Trained by great masters, Pandanainallur Sri Chokkalingam Pillai and his son Sri Subbaraya Pillai, she has enriched her dance vocabulary and extended the frontiers of her dance tradition to evolve her own distinctive style, which has been described as “uniquely individualistic…an effortless synchronisation of apparent contradictions – linearity and lyricism, symmetry and sinuosity, precision and poetry”. Her work, while remaining within the framework of classical Indian dance, is contemporary in its interpretation and scope to communicate and has been lauded for creating an international awareness of Bharatanatyam, as a dynamic, continuously evolving, classical dance form.
In popular culture
A film on Alarmel Valli was made for the Omnibus series, on BBC OneBBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, by producer Michael Macintyre. Alarmel Valli has also been featured in dance documentaries by noted Indian producers like the late G. Aravindan
G. Aravindan
Govindan Aravindan who was popularly known as G. Aravindan was a national award winning film director, screenwriter, musician and cartoonist from Kerala, India. He was known for his unorthodox way of film-making; he changed his cinematic forms consistently and experimented in story telling without...
and Prakash Jha
Prakash Jha
Prakash Jha is an Indian film producer-director-screenwriter, who is most known for his political and socio-political films such as Damul , Mrityudand , Gangaajal , Apaharan and multistarrer hit movie Raajneeti...
, by the BBC (in The Spirit of Asia Series), the Nederlands Broadcasting Company, Arte (France) and Japanese National Television. The Films Division of India commissioned a film on her for the National Archives of India
National Archives of India
The National Archives of India is a repository of the non-current records of the Government of India and is holding them in trust for the use of administrators and scholars. Originally established as the 'Imperial Record Department' in 1891, in Calcutta, the then capital of British India...
. Titled ‘Pravahi’, it has been directed by eminent film-maker Arun Khopkar, with cinematography by Madhu Ambat
Madhu Ambat
Madhu Ambat is a Indian cinematographer. With a wide variety of films under his belt he is one of the most experienced cinematographers in the Indian cinema industry. Noted for his lighting techniques, he has shot a number of award-winning films. He is quite well known for his amazing work in films...
.
Awards and honours
- 1969:The title of “Natyakalabhushanam” from the Indian Fine Arts Society.
- 1973:The title of ‘Singar Mani’ from the Sur Singar Sammelan, Bombay.
- 1975:Nrithyajothi from the Kalaniketan, Madras
- 1976:Bharatakala Tatvaprakasini from Chidambaram Devasthanam
- 1979: State award of KalaimamaniKalaimamaniThe Kalaimamani is an award in Tamil Nadu state, India. These awards are given by the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Manram for excellence in the field of art and literature....
from Tamilnadu Government - 1980: Nrithya Vikas, from Sur Singar, Bombay
- 1985: Nritya Choodamani, from the Krishna Gana Sabha (Madras).
- 1990: Adal Arasi, from The Tamilnadu Foundation, New Jersey, USA
- 1991: Padma Sri
- 1996: Nritya Urvashi, from Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh
- 1997: Awarded the Grande Medaille (Medal) by the City of Paris.
- 2002: 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...
- 2003: Honoured by the Lalitha Kala Vedika Trust - Chennai
- 2003: Nritya Ratna from the Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan Kendra -Coimbatore
- 2004: Padma BhushanPadma BhushanThe Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
- 2004: Chevalier of Arts and Letters award from the French Government
- 2008:Padma Sadhana from the Padma Sarangapani Cultural Academy, Chennai