Thanjavur Kandappa Pillai
Thanjavur Kandappa Pillai
Madhusri Sethuraman
Plano, United States
30 students ↓
Priyadarsini Govind
Chennai, India
2 students ↓
Jamuna Krishnan
Delhi, India
4 students ↓
A. Lakshmanaswamy
Chennai, India
6 students ↓
Ramya Harishankar
Irvine, United States
5 students ↓
Meenakshi Chitharanjan
Chennai, India
3 students ↓
Minal Prabhu
Bangalore, India
1 student ↓
Shobhana Balachandra
Chennai, India
1 student ↓
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Lineage Stats
Lineage Overview
- ✦This lineage spreads across 17 countries.
- ✦Bharatanatyam is the primary style.
- ✦Avg. 25.8 students per direct shishya.
- ✦This lineage is 5 generations deep.
🪔 About
Thanjavur Kandappa Pillai (1899-1941) was a highly renowned Bharatanatyam guru and a hereditary nattuvanar, inheriting a rich tradition spanning over six generations of dance teachers. Born in 1899, he passed away prematurely in 1941 at the age of 42. His lineage traces back to his great-great-great grandfather Gangamuthu. Kandappa Pillai was the great-grandson of Chinnayya, the eldest of the celebrated Tanjore Quartet, who were instrumental in codifying the Bharatanatyam format in the 19th century. His father, Nellayappan (1854-1906), was also recognized as a distinguished teacher of his era. Kandappa Pillai's teaching methodology emphasized both nritta (pure dance) and abhinaya (interpretative dance). His training approach involved rigorous basic steps focusing solely on footwork for at least two years, followed by the gradual introduction of hand gestures and movements. Students would typically complete three to four years of basic training before progressing to the alarippu. He briefly collaborated with Uday Shankar in Almora, contributing to the development of modern Indian fusion dance. Despite his short life, Kandappa Pillai made significant contributions to the field of Bharatanatyam.
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