Thanjavur K. P. Kittappa Pillai

🪔 About

Thanjavur K. P. Kittappa Pillai (born Sabapathi, nicknamed Kittappa) was a towering figure in Indian classical dance, particularly Bharatanatyam, and a direct descendant of the illustrious Thanjavur Quartet. Born on May 5, 1913, he hailed from a distinguished lineage of nattuvanars, being the fifth-generation descendant of Sivanandam, one of the Thanjavur Quartet, who are credited with codifying the Bharatanatyam format. He was also the grandson of the legendary Nattuvanar Pandanallur Meenakshisundaram Pillai and the son of Sangita Kalanidhi K. Ponniah Pillai. Kittappa Pillai's initial training was in music, learning from Natesa Sastri and his father, K. Ponniah Pillai. He began his career as a vocalist, gaining popularity as one half of the “Singing Twins” with his cousin Narayanaswamy. Following the untimely deaths of his cousin and father in 1945, he shifted his focus to nattuvangam and teaching Bharatanatyam. He established himself as a versatile nattuvanar under the tutelage of his maternal grandfather, Pandanallur Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai. Throughout his career, Kittappa Pillai made significant contributions to Bharatanatyam. He revived and produced annotated versions of many rare pieces from the original Thanjavur repertoire in the 1950s, including the Sarabhendra Bhupala Kuravanji and Navasandhi Kavituvams. He also choreographed and presented special items like Navasandhi Nritya and Panchamurthi Kavuthuam. His scholarly work included publishing compositions of his ancestors, such as Ponniah Mani Malai and Adi Bharatakala Manjari, often in collaboration with his younger brother K. P. Sivanandam. He served as a faculty member at institutions like Tamizh Isai College and Annamalai University, and also taught at the Darpana Academy of Arts in Ahmedabad. In his later years, he imparted specialized training from his ancestral home in Thanjavur, under the auspices of Tamil University and a program sponsored by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Kittappa Pillai trained a galaxy of dancers and gurus, both Indian and international, ensuring the continuity of the Thanjavur tradition. He passed away on October 30, 1999. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1974), Sangita Kala Acharya (1981), Isai Perarignar (1985), Kala Tilakam (1986), Kalidas Samman, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (1998).