| Name(s) |
GURU GOPINATH |
| Date of
Birth |
June 24, 1908 |
| Date of
Death |
October 09, 1987 (He
died on stage, as he wished, with makeup, attire and anklets
while enacting the role of King Dasaratha in his famous ballet
Ramayana at Fine Arts Hall, Eranakulam). |
|
Identity |
Indian classical
dancer |
|
Other Events &
Developments |
- He was a Kathakali
master and mentor of a
relatively new creative modern
dancing style called Kerala Natanam.
- He was instrumental in
introducing and popularising
Kathakali to the outer
world.
- He proved that Indian classical
dance is the language of
humanity, the global
language.
- He was dance partner to
Ragini Devi- formerly Esther Luella
Sherman - an American born
dancer from Michigan.
- Guru Gopinath and Ragini Devi
made their first stage
performance in Mumbai in
December 1932.
- Kathakali style of dancing
hither to used to be a male
monopoly. It was Guru Gopinath who
experimented and proved that
females can perform
Kathakali.
- He founded the
Natananiketan in Chennai,
the Viswa Kala Kendra
in Trivandrum and the
International Kathakali Centre
in Delhi.
- He could show and express the
nine emotions in
Kathakali and he could show
different emotions on each half of
his face at the same time.
|
|
Awards & Accolades |
- Veera Srumkhala
from, Chithira Thirunal Balarama
Varma the King of Travancore.
- The Guru Status
was awarded later by Indian People's
Theatre Association (IPTA).
- The Rabindra Bharathi University
honoured him with a
doctorate.
|
|
Commemoration |
- His statue was
erected in Viswa Bharathi
University.
- His illustrious demonsrarion of
Nava Rasa (the nine
emotions) is featured in
major museums in U.S.,
France, Germany and Switzerland.
- The Kerala government has
established a dance village named 'Guru
Gopinath Natanagramam'.
- A national dance museum, called
as Guru Gopinath National
Dance Museum (GGNDM),
showcasing the evolution, heritage
and diversity of dance forms in
India and abroad has been
established in Trivandrum, as his
memorial.
|
|
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