Alladi Sarada (Sarada Hoffman), born in 1929 in the Adyar Theosophical campus, by no means allowed anybody to make use of the title ‘Guru’ earlier than her title, as a substitute at all times most well-liked to be referred to as ‘Sarada Teacher.’ Resident college students at Kalakshetra additionally lovingly recognized her as ‘Chinna Sarada’ as a result of the senior scholar, S. Sarada, her elder up to date, was additionally guiding all of us by way of a complete training in naatya.
Chinna Sarada is understood for her uncompromising precision as a Bharatanatyam artiste herself, in addition to an exemplary trainer who’s instrumental in creating and standardising a Kalakshetra methodology for Bharatanatyam. Because of these efforts of Sarada Teacher and plenty of different lecturers, the world has recognised the Kalakshetra methodology as the greatest basis for Bharatanatyam, unifying a number of loosely-knit conventional coaching programs that helped in establishing a Kalakshetra legacy.
Sarada Teacher along with her college students Dhananjayan, Shanta, Savitri Jagannatha Rao and Ambika Buch
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Courtesy: V.P. Dhananjayan
Sarada Teacher was Rukminidevi Amma’s superb mannequin for shaping a eager precision on the bodily physique and in bodily execution. She, in flip, transferred that to her fast lineage, making a galaxy of Kalakshetra fashions beginning with Yamini Krishnamurthy, Adyar Lakshman, C.V. Chandrasekhar, Shanta and myself, Krishnaveni Lakshmanan, Ambika Buch, Kala Ramesh, Savitri Jagannatha Rao, Balagopalan, Janardanan, Neela Satyalingam (Sri Lanka) and Balasundari Prathalingam (Sri Lanka). N.S. Jayalakshmi (trainer) additionally helped Sarada Teacher on this course of. Years later, well-known Kalakshetra alumni corresponding to G. Narendra, P.T. Narendran and Shijith Nambiar/Parvathi additionally studied below her and have been guided by Sarada Teacher.
Even although Rukminidevi forged Chinna Sarada in a number of main roles corresponding to Parvathi in ‘Kumarasambhavam’, Vasanthavalli in ‘Kutrala Kuravanchi’, Andal in ‘Andal Charitam’, as a real acharya, she let her sishyas shine in the lead roles in most of the Kalakshetra productions. Some examples embody Sarada Teacher performing the position of the predominant sakhi reverse to Shanta as Radha in ‘Geeta Govindam’. In the Ramayana collection, she immortalised the position of Manthara in ‘Sri Rama Vana Gamanam’ and he or she, together with Shanta, carried out two lightning-quick minutes as apsaras in ‘Paaduka Pattabhishekam’. Rukmini Devi forged Shanta in these productions to match Sarada Teacher’s precision and perfection. I had the success of taking part in the position of Periyazhwar reverse her Kodhai or Andal.
As a trainer, she at all times let her sishyas be below the highlight.
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Special Arrangement
Some of Sarada Teacher’s personal small choreographic ventures embody Naatu Padal, Kummi, Kolattam, Tiruppugazh verses and bhajans. ‘Murugan Thiruvarul’ was the solely full-fledged dance drama she choreographed in Kalakshetra. Unfortunately, Kalakshetra didn’t recurrently carry out it, in contrast to their different productions.
In my ebook, Beyond Performing: Art & Culture, there may be an exhaustive four-page article on Sarada Teacher, throwing extra mild on her work and contributions to Kalakshetra, which owes her a monumental tribute.
Accolades are usually not many however notable. Sangeet Natak Academy (1996), Venkatakrishan Mama’s Sankarabharanam and Natyarangam of Narada Gana Sabha got here ahead to honour her earlier than she left for California to calm down below the excellent care of her kids, Geetha Hoffman and Krishna Hoffman and his spouse Paulomi Pandit (additionally her scholar). Special point out have to be made of her receiving the first Rukmini Devi Medal for Excellence in the Arts, established by the Centre for Contemporary Culture, New Del
