GopuKirans | About The Founder
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About The Founder

Director of Kirans academy of Natya

 

Sri Gopukiran Sadasivan, widely known as the senior disciple of Padmabhushan Dhananjayans, needs no introduction in the world of Bharatanatyam. Unarguably, one of the best Bharatanatyam dancers in India has ever produced, the works and legacy of Gopukiran extend beyond the borders of his country. They rightly say, art knows no boundaries and this is totally true in his case!

 

Early Childhood

 

Hailing from a musical family residing in the beautiful land of Kerala, the roots of art and music were ingrained in his young mind, soon after he was born. Art became a way of life for little Gopukiran.

 

He didn’t have to look far for inspiration. His grandfather, late Damodhara Bhagavathar, was an exemplary artist, a great musician of his time, whom he always looked up on for support and guidance.

Artistic Director: Aashin Kiran

Gopukiran is married to the highly-acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer, Smt. Aashin Kiran. Aashin is a talented artist, dedicated teacher, exceptional performer, and a pillar of support for Gopukiran.

 

Although she got her training initially from Kerala, she is an alumnus of the great institute of Kalakshetra. She’s also an M.A. in Bharatanatyam and has a total experience of over 22 years in this field of dance. Like her husband, she has also presented at various prestigious events and festivals across India.

 

Smt. Aashin has been trained in Kathakali by Guru Shri. Sadanam Balakrishnan, and also in Mohini Attam and Kuchipudi. She is the recipient of the coveted Kala Thilakam award.

 

Gopukiran, along with this wife Aashin, went on to found Kiran’s Academy of Natya, in Chennai. Kiran’s is now one of the most accredited and sought-after dance institutes in South India, under the apt management and guidance of two of the best dancers of the country!

Career

Gopukiran’s long and inspiring journey in Bharatanatyam commenced when he was merely a 3-year old. Perhaps, his parents could see it right then what the world only discovered later, his undying passion and love for the great dance form.

 

His first gurus were Smt. Mythili and Smt. Girija Chandran of the Regatta Cultural Academy, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. With their teaching and direction as his foundation, Gopukiran went on to become a Master of Arts in Bharatanatyam, from the University of Madras, with a Gold Medal. He was also a Gold medallist when he graduated as a Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA).Gopu Kiran has also completed his graduation in English literature.

 

As a kid, dance was not the only art form he practised. Gopukiran also acted as a child artist in quite a few Malayalam movies. Despite being involved in so many different activities, Gopukiran and his parents gave equal importance to his education. The fact that he is a recipient of junior and senior CCERT and NCERT scholarships clearly establishes that he was an achiever and an all-rounder.

Expertise and Accomplishments

Having started really young, Gopukiran now has an experience of over 27 years, much more than his peers. Here are some of the tasks and projects he has undertaken in his astonishing and enviable career

He was a faculty at Regatta Cultural Society, Thiruvananthapuram from 1995-2000. Under the guidance of his Guru Smt. Girija Chandran, he undertook Bharatanatyam classes for students at all levels. During this time, he got a wonderful opportunity to train and educate students not just from India, but from all over the world.

He joined the stalwarts of Bharatanatyam, Smt. Shantha Dhananjayan and Shri. V.P. Dhananjayan in the year 2000 also called as the dancing couple of Bhaarat (India). The PadmaBhushan awardees, popularly known as the Dhananjayans provided the right kind of ambience for their disciple, Gopukiran to flourish in his chosen path of passion.

Under the leadership of the Dhananjayans, he became a faculty at their training institute, Bharatakalanjali, Chennai and continues to empower the students there to achieve greatness in Bharatanatyam.

Gopukiran has featured in the dance presentations in the productions of some eminent Gurus in Chennai and across the globe. This rightfully made him one of the most sought-after male Bharatanatyam dancers in India and which later translated into various collaborations with dance academies abroad.He was invited by the Cleveland Cultural Alliance to participate in their successful production “EakaanthaSeetha” in the US.

Gopukiran is one of the eminent guest lecturers in Dr. MGR Janaki College of Arts and Science.

He is the director of Kiran’s Academy of Natya, Chennai.

Being a regular faculty in prominent schools in the US, Gopukiran is doing his bit to introduce the world to the rich culture of India.

Gopukiran’s altruistic nature often comes to light through the various ways in which he renders support to upcoming artists to set up schools and institutes in and outside of India.

He conducts regular workshops and training sessions, both practical and theoretical, for upcoming artists on Bharatanatyam and Nattuvangam.

Awards and Achievements

Gopukiran’s work has been adorned with some of the highest levels of acknowledgements in terms of awards and achievements. Here are some of them:

He’s one of the graded artists in Doordarshan

First Rank In M.A. Bharatanatyam (University of Madras)

Choreographed few South Indian films

Yuva Kala Bharathi (Bharath Kalachar)

Best Male Dancer (South Zone Cultural Centre)

Recipient Of junior and Senior Scholarship in Bharatanatyam

Kalaprathibha (School Youth Festival, Kerala)

Kalaprathibha (University of Kerala)

Beyond Bharatanatyam

 

While Gopukiran was par excellence in Bharatanatyam, his dancing prowess was not limited to just that. He is also a trained Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Ottam Thullal artist. He has a penchant for Carnatic music and has also acquired training in the same.

He specializes in Nattuvangam and conducts workshops to share his knowledge with aspiring dancers. His choreography skills are highly valued in the scene of Bharatanatyam.

Kathakali

Kuchipudi

Ottam Thullal

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