Kalamandalam Calcutta

🪔 About

Dr. Guru Smt. Thankamani Kutty is a highly renowned figure in Indian classical dance, celebrated for her profound contributions to Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam, and for co-founding the esteemed institution Kalamandalam Calcutta. Born in 1940, she received her rigorous training in Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam at the prestigious Kerala Kalamandalam between 1952 and 1956, where she also delved into allied arts like music, mridangam, taalam, and languages. In 1968, she co-founded Kalamandalam Calcutta, also known as Kalamandalam Performing Arts & Research Centre, in Kolkata with her late husband, Guru Govindan Kutty. Guru Govindan Kutty, a Kathakali exponent and alumnus of Kerala Kalamandalam, had arrived in Calcutta in 1955 and began teaching Kathakali. Together, they established the institution with the primary goal of imparting training in South Indian Classical Dances, including Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, and Kuchipudi, to students in Calcutta and beyond. Under her leadership, Kalamandalam Calcutta has flourished, growing into one of the leading Indian classical dance institutes in the country with seven branches across West Bengal and over 1800 students. Guru Thankamani Kutty is recognized as a prolific composer, choreographer, director, and trainer, enriching the repertoire of various dance forms and choreographing numerous dance dramas. She has trained thousands of students, with at least 10,000 receiving completion certificates from the institute globally. Many of her alumni have gone on to establish their own dance institutions in countries such as the UK, USA, Japan, Kuwait, Canada, and Spain. Her performing troupe has toured extensively across India and internationally, earning critical acclaim. Awards & Honours: Shiromani Puraskar (1992), Nritya Natak Sangeet O 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 (1999), Sreshtha (2001), Natya Sreshtha (2003), Life Time Achievement in the Field of Classical Dance (2005), Kalaprathibha Puraskaram (2006), Kelucharan Mahapatra Smriti Purashkar (2007), Felicitation (2007), Felicitation (2007), Kerala Kalamandalam Award for Mohiniattam (2008), Bharatmuni Samman (2008).