Justin McCarthy (dancer)
Encyclopedia
Justin McCarthy is an American-born noted India
n Bharatnatyam dancer, instructor and choreographer. He teaches Bharatnatyam at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra
at Delhi
, where he has been for the last three decades. He moved to India in 1979, learnt Bharatanatyam from danseuse Leela Samson
for ten years, before beginning to teach it at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra at Delhi, where he has teaching ever since. Prior to this he received his early training at the Dance School of Berkeley, and later trained under Subbaraya Pillai, a leading Guru of the Pandanallur style
of Bharatanatyam at Chennai. He is also a pianist of Western classical music, and adept in Carnatic music
.
was born and brought up in Midwestern America, in a family with Irish
descent. He learnt piano and received his early dance training at the Berkeley
School of Dance. Later he moved to California, where in the mid '70s after watching a Bharatanatyam
performance at the Golden Gate Park
, transformed he soon started learning Bharatanatyam from two American dancers, Lesandre Ayrey and Mimi Janislauuski, students of the Balasaraswati
, subsequently he decided to leave for India.
After his move to India he first trained under Subbaraya Pillai, a leading Guru of the Pandanallur style
of Bharatanatyam at Chennai
. Next he trained under Bharatanatyam danseuse Leela Samson
for ten years at Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra, Delhi. Meanwhile he also learnt Tamil and Sanskrit languages, apart from learning Carnatic music
vocal.
in Delhi for last two decades.
Apart from a Western classical pianist, he is also a keyboardist
, and plays harpsichord
, a baroque keyboard instrument. He has been living in Delhi for the past 30 years and has acquired Indian citizenship.
Justin entered dance choreography in the early 1990s with a poem from Sangam literature
, Madurai Kanchi, still one of his noted works. Having learnt Carnatic music
, he also compose music for his choreographic works. His choreographed Kshetrayya, based on the imagined life of a 17th century poet-musician by the same name
, was a "hit", and his 2009 production, Rajavilasam — Splendours of the Courtesans performed by Gati Forum also received rave reviews.
In 2010, his dance repertoire troupe, presented a production Lokaalokam, a fusion of three Indian classical dance forms, Chhau, Kathak
and Bharatanatyam at the "Ananya Dance Festival" in Delhi's 16th-century Purana Qila.
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, instructor and choreographer. He teaches Bharatnatyam at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra
Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra
Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra is an Indian cultural institution which runs a noted school for music, dance and performing arts in New Delhi, founded by Sumitra Charat Ram in 1952. And imparts training in Indian classical dance styles and music, including Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Chhau,...
at Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, where he has been for the last three decades. He moved to India in 1979, learnt Bharatanatyam from danseuse Leela Samson
Leela Samson
Leela Samson is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, instructor and writer. As a soloist she is known for her technical virtuosity and has taught Bharatanatyam at Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra in Delhi for many years; presently she is the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification ;...
for ten years, before beginning to teach it at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra at Delhi, where he has teaching ever since. Prior to this he received his early training at the Dance School of Berkeley, and later trained under Subbaraya Pillai, a leading Guru of 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 Bharatanatyam at Chennai. He is also a pianist of Western classical music, and adept in 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...
.
Early life and training
Justin McCarthyMcCarthy (surname)
The MacCarthy dynasty was one of Ireland's greatest medieval dynasties. It was and continues to be divided into several great branches. The MacCarthy Reagh, MacCarthy of Muskerry, and MacCarthy of Duhallow dynasties were the three most important of these, after the central or MacCarthy Mór...
was born and brought up in Midwestern America, in a family with Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent. He learnt piano and received his early dance training at the Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
School of Dance. Later he moved to California, where in the mid '70s after watching a 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...
performance at the Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
, transformed he soon started learning Bharatanatyam from two American dancers, Lesandre Ayrey and Mimi Janislauuski, students of the Balasaraswati
Balasaraswati
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....
, subsequently he decided to leave for India.
After his move to India he first trained under Subbaraya Pillai, a leading Guru of 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 Bharatanatyam at Chennai
Chennai
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...
. Next he trained under Bharatanatyam danseuse Leela Samson
Leela Samson
Leela Samson is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, instructor and writer. As a soloist she is known for her technical virtuosity and has taught Bharatanatyam at Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra in Delhi for many years; presently she is the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification ;...
for ten years at Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra, Delhi. Meanwhile he also learnt Tamil and Sanskrit languages, apart from learning 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...
vocal.
Career
After performing as a soloist, he has been teaching Bharatanatyam at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala KendraShriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra
Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra is an Indian cultural institution which runs a noted school for music, dance and performing arts in New Delhi, founded by Sumitra Charat Ram in 1952. And imparts training in Indian classical dance styles and music, including Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Chhau,...
in Delhi for last two decades.
Apart from a Western classical pianist, he is also a keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
, and plays harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, a baroque keyboard instrument. He has been living in Delhi for the past 30 years and has acquired Indian citizenship.
Justin entered dance choreography in the early 1990s with a poem from Sangam literature
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...
, Madurai Kanchi, still one of his noted works. Having learnt 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...
, he also compose music for his choreographic works. His choreographed Kshetrayya, based on the imagined life of a 17th century poet-musician by the same name
Kshetrayya
Kshetrayya was a prolific Telugu poet and composer of Carnatic music. He lived in the area of Andhra Pradesh in South India. He composed a number of padams and keertanas, the prevalent formats of his time. He is credited with more than 4000 compositions, although only a handful have survived...
, was a "hit", and his 2009 production, Rajavilasam — Splendours of the Courtesans performed by Gati Forum also received rave reviews.
In 2010, his dance repertoire troupe, presented a production Lokaalokam, a fusion of three Indian classical dance forms, Chhau, Kathak
Kathak
Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers...
and Bharatanatyam at the "Ananya Dance Festival" in Delhi's 16th-century Purana Qila.