Gopika Varma

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Gopika Varma

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Gopika Varma

Born	Gopika Gopal^[1] Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Nationality	Indian
Occupation(s)	Dancer, Dance teacher
Known for	Indian Classical Dance/ Mohiniyattam
Awards	Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Kalaimamani

Gopika Varma is a Kerala born Mohiniyattam dancer and dance teacher who is settled in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She received several awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award and Kalaimamani.

Biography

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Born and raised in Thiruvananthapuram,^[2] Gopika Varma migrated to Chennai from Kerala in 1995.^[3] She started learning dance at the age of three, from her mother.^[4] At the age of 10, Gopika started learning Mohiniyattam from Girija and Chandrika Kurup and later she received specialized training from Kalyanikutty Amma and her daughter, Sreedevi Rajan.^[5] Gopika learned the Abhinaya (acting) part of Mohiniyattam from Kathakali exponent Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair.^[6] She also studied Bharathanatyam under Vazhiyur Ramayyar Pillai, for 18 years.^[1]

Although her guru was Kalyanikutty Amma, Gopika Varma follows her own style in Mohiniyattam.^[1] She has also performed Mohiniyattam in Sopana style under Kavalam Narayana Panicker.^[1] She runs a Mohiniyattam Dance School in Adyar, Chennai under the name "Dasyam".^[5]

Personal life

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Gopika Varma.^[5] Other than running a dance school, she runs a shelter home for the physically challenged and a textile unit for their work.^[7] She lives in her house Ramalayam in Adyar, Chennai.^[8]

Notable dance performances

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Gopika choreographed and performed dance named Ayonija Panchakanyaka, about five unborn virgins in Indian mythology.^[1] She has performed the poem Radhayevide written by Sugathakumari and composed by M. Jayachandran, in Mohiniyattam form.^[1] Yamini Reddy, Kritika Subramaniam, Gopika Varma and Suhasini together choreographed and performed the dance named Antaram.^[9] Chayamukhi is another dance performance she did.^[3] The dance performance on Indian mythological characters Kunti and Ahalya, done as part of the celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, was also notable.^[10] She is now doing a dance composition based on Shankaracharya's life.^[11]

Awards and honours

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Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2018^[12]
Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award 2008^[13]
Kalaimamani 2004^[14] She is the first dancer to receive Kalaimamani for Mohiniyattam.^[3]
Nritya Choodamani Award 2010 from Krishna Gana Sabha^[5]
Abhinaya Kala Ratna Excellence Award^[15]
Sathya Abhinaya Sundaram 2007^[15]
Kaladarpanam Award 2003^[15]
Yuva Kala Bharathi award by Bharat Kalachar 2001. She is the first Mohiniyattam dancer to receive this award.^[16]
Outstanding Performance Award by the House of Commons – London 2003^[17]
Satya Abinaya Sundaram^[7]
Natya Kala Vipanchee^[7]
Rajakeeya Puraskaram^[7]

References

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^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "ഗോപികാ വസന്തം". Janmabhumi.
^ "Teacher's pride,performer's envy". The New Indian Express.
^ ^a ^b ^c ശശിധരന്‍, ശബ്‌ന. "മോഹിനിയാട്ടത്തെ സ്വന്തം പ്രാണനോടൊപ്പം ചേര്‍ത്ത് വയ്ക്കുന്നവര്‍". Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
^ Kumar, Ranee (23 August 2019). "Mohiniattam dancer Gopika Varma's crowning glory". The Hindu.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "GOPIKA VARMA - www.artindia.net – Indian classical performing arts". www.artindia.net.
^ "'Sway Like the Green Fields of Kerala'". The New Indian Express.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Ganesh, Agila (24 June 2018). "The art of dance". Deccan Chronicle.
^ "Chennai is home to some of the mourning 'royals' of Travancore". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
^ "നാലു ഗോപികമാരുടെ അന്തരം രൂപാന്തരം". ManoramaOnline.
^ "I want to spread joy through dance: Gopika Varma". Deccan Chronicle. 10 April 2012. Archived from the original on 10 April 2012.
^ "Philosophy on stage: when a Mohiniyattam exponent read Shankaracharya". OnManorama.
^ Kumar, Ranee (1 August 2019). "Gopika Varma bags the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Mohiniyattam dance". The Hindu.
^ "Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award: Dance". Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
^ Varma, Dr Anjana. "Gopika Varma speaks about transforming hurt to motivation". Mathrubhumi.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Gopika Varma | The Raza Foundation". www.therazafoundation.org.
^ "NAFO KALALAYAM – Nafoglobal Kuwait".
^ "Dance festival opens with Mohiniyattam". Hindustan Times. 23 August 2014.

v t e Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Winners of Kerala
Carnatic Music - Vocal	Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar K. V. Narayanaswamy Neyyattinkara Vasudevan Trichur V. Ramachandran
Instrumental - Carnatic Violin	B. Sasikumar
Instrumental - Mridangam	Guruvayur Dorai Palghat Mani Iyer Palghat R. Raghu T. V. Gopalakrishnan
Creative and Experimental Music	K. P. Udayabhanu
Dance - Kathakali	Champakulam Pachu Pillai Chenganoor Raman Pillai Guru Gopinath Guru Kunchu Kurup Kalamandalam Gopi Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair Kalamandalam Rajan Kavungal Chathunni Panicker Kottakkal Chandrasekharan Kottakkal Sivaraman Madambi Subramanian Namboodiri Madavoor Vasudevan Nair Mankompu Sivasankara Pillai Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri Padmanabhan Nair Ramankutty Nair Sadanam Krishnankutty Sadanam P. V. Balakrishnan Vasu Pisharody Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair Vazhenkada Vijayan Kalamandalam Kuttan Asan M. P. S. Namboodiri Ramachandran Unnithan Thonnakkal Peethambaran Varanasi Vishnu Namboothiri
Dance - Mohiniattam	Deepti Omchery Bhalla Gopika Varma Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma Kalamandalam Kshemavathy Kalamandalam Leelamma Kalamandalam Satyabhama Kalamandalam Sugandhi Vimala Menon V. K. Hymavathy
Creative Dance/Choreography	Mrinalini Sarabhai
Major Traditions of Dance and Dance Theatre	Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri
Music for Dance	Kalamandalam Gangadharan
Theatre - Acting	N. N. Pillai
Theatre - Direction	Kavalam Narayana Panikkar
Theatre - Traditional / Folk / Dance / Music / Puppetry	Ammannur Madhava Chakyar Neralattu Rama Poduval Mani Madhava Chakyar P. K. Narayanan Nambiar Appukutty Poduval Mattannoor Sankarankutty
Performing Arts in the Media	K. J. Yesudas

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