New York Field Trip

New York Folklore Society
P.O. Box 764
Schenectady, NY 12301
518/346-7008
Fax 518/346-6617
nyfs@nyfolklore.org

Kantham Chatlapalli

Kantham Chatlapalli is an Indian Classical Dancer, Teacher and Choreographer. She is a disciple of Natyacharya Sri Pasumarthi Seetharamayya. She started learning Indian Classical dance (Kuchipudi and Bharatha Natyam) at very young age. She has participated in numerous dance programs and competitions, in India, the US, and Ethiopia, and has won many awards. In 1983, she has started promoting this art form by training both girls and boys in Kuchipudi dance style. Since then she has trained many Indian and foreign students in India, Ethiopia, and the U.S. in Indian Classical dance and organized their performances to promote the rich cultural ancestry and support the local community needs and activities.

She has choreographed and directed several classical, folk dances and dance dramas such as Dasavataramulu and Sree Krishna Leelalu, which were well received by the audience for their technical versatility and immaculate proficiency. Among her many performances include appearances at Western Connecticut University and Miami University, cultural programs organized by TANA, ATA, FIA, New York State Council on the Arts, Dutchess County Arts Council, Namaskaar Foundation, Hindu Samaj Cultural Center, Westchester Arts Council, the Metropolitan Museum of The Arts, NY , Global Beauty and Culture celebrations at United Nations, and in International Immigration Cultural Festival in New York and many more. Since 1993, she and her students have consistently taken top honors at the Telugu Association of Greater Delaware Valley Cultural Competitions. In 1995, she began to do the nattuvangam (vocal accompaniment to singing) for her students, since then she has completed the “Rangapravesam” or dance graduation of many students in the Kuchipudi dance style.

She is the director of Natya Niketan, school of Indian Classical and Folk dances. Kantham with her students gave an opening performance for Sitarist Anoushka Shankar in 2002 at Bardavon Theatre, Poughkeepsie, NY. She has been selected as Master Artist by the New York State Council on the Arts for the Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant in 2003 and also received Dutchess County Executive award as an individual Artist. In summer 2004, she was honored in India with the title of Natya Kalanidhi (Treasure of dance) for preserving and promoting this art form. In Oct 2006, Dutchess County Arts Council has nominated Kantham for the prestigious NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) National Heritage Fellowship, in recognition of her lifelong contributions to Indian dance in the United States.

Kantham is not alone in promoting this dance tradition, her both daughters Harika and Malika also play an important role in promoting this traditional art form. One of Ms. Chatlapalli’s goals is to increase the number of skilled practitioners of Kuchipudi and to bring greater recognition and exposure to Kuchipudi dance, and to Indian classical dance in general. Kantham holds Masters Degree in Marine sciences and at present she is working at MannKind Bio-Pharmaceutical Company in Danbury, CT. She credits her success in dance to her Guru and her family.

The following websites feature dance pictures and other information about Kantham and Indian Classical Dance:

http://ckuiphoff.com/bardavon/idancers/
http://www.indianera.com/slideshow/pearls/pearls-intro.swf
www.metmuseum.org/events/pdf/madi_news_spring06.pdf
www.ckuiphoff.com/bardavon/harika
http://www.cocoontheatre.org/pokjrnl_arts_award.html
http://www.caramoor.org/html/www.caramoor.org/html/pressreleases_52.htm

The New York Folklore Society and its programs are funded by the
New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Additional funding for this conference provided by the Theatre Development Fund and the New York Council for the Humanities.