Thankamani Kutty

🪔 About

Guru Thankamani Kutty is a highly renowned Indian classical dancer, teacher, and choreographer, celebrated for her profound contributions to Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam, particularly in popularizing South Indian dance forms in West Bengal. Born on September 4, 1940, in Kerala, she developed a fascination for classical dance at a young age after witnessing a Bharatanatyam performance. She pursued formal training at the prestigious Kerala Kalamandalam, where she earned diplomas in both Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam. Her Bharatanatyam gurus included Rajaratnam Pillai, Maruthappa Pillai, Arunachalam Pillai, and Rajalakshmi Ammal, while Chinnammu Amma guided her in Mohiniyattam. In 1958, Thankamani Kutty married Kathakali maestro Govindan Kutty, her fellow alumnus from Kerala Kalamandalam, and together they moved to Kolkata (then Calcutta). This move marked a pivotal point in her career, as she began performing and teaching Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam, pioneering the introduction of South Indian classical dance to the region. In 1968, the couple co-founded 'Kalamandalam Calcutta' (now Kalamandalam Performing Arts & Research Centre), an institution that grew to become a premier center for South Indian classical dances, including Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, and Kuchipudi. Thankamani Kutty is acclaimed for her innovative choreographic works, notably adapting Rabindranath Tagore's dance dramas such as 'Chandalika,' 'Chitrangada,' 'Mayar Khela,' and 'Shapmochan,' as well as Kalidasa's Sanskrit classics and contemporary ballets. She uniquely incorporated Kathakali elements to portray masculine characters, developing a distinctive style. Her dedication to the guru-shishya parampara has led her to train thousands of students, many of whom have achieved national recognition and become teachers themselves. Under her leadership, Kalamandalam Calcutta expanded with multiple centers in Kolkata and even established branches in the UK, and her troupe has toured internationally to countries like Japan, Thailand, the UK, USA, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Kuwait, and Turkey. Awards & Honours: Shiromani Puraskar (1992), Nritya Natak Sangeet Drishya Kala Akademy award (1993), Prashastika award (1995), Bharat Nirman Talented Ladies award (1997), All India Critics award for Bharatanatyam and Mohiniattam (1998), Shatabdir Nari (The woman of the Millennium), E.T.V. ANAND DHARA – 2001 (2001), NATYA SRESHTHA (2003), Kelucharan Mahapatra Smriti Purashkar (2007), Bharatmuni Samman – 2008 (2008), Honorary Degree of Doctor of Literature (2011), Nazrul Puraskar (2016), Sangeet Natak Akademy Amrit award (2023), Life Time Achievement in the Field of Classical Dance.