Renowned dance guru C. Radhakrishna passed away in his home in Bengaluru on March 30. He was 96. He had been ailing for some time. He had disciples in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. He was among the first teachers from Karnataka to earn recognition and acclaim in Tamil Nadu, which was where the accomplished vidwans (experts) resided.
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He patronised the growth of dance and music, and was called the ‘Mysore Bhoja’. He encouraged dancers and also natyacharyas (dance teachers) who with their experience and talent formulated a dance form which came to be called as Mysore style of Bharatanatyam.
He and his wife Meenakshi are credited with keeping alive the rich tradition of the Kolar school of dance by studying manuscripts that were 150 years old. They presented performances based on the manuscripts that hold rare and complex compositions like Taayas, Prabhandhas, Swarapallavis, Swaraprabandhas, Sapthataleshwari Varnas, and lyrical pieces Geethanrityas, Churnikas, Telugu Ashtadikpalaka aradhana kautvams, and rare, Sanskrit Navarasa Shlokabhinaya, Padas, Srungara, Hasya Javalis, Suladis and Mangala Shlokas.
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C. Radhakrishna took his first music lessons from Vidhvan Tavarekere Ramaraya at the age of eight. His maternal uncle Natuvannar N. Gundappa realised that the child also had an inclination towards dance.
In 1944, he gave his first music performance at Palli Venugopala Swami temple in Bengaluru. His first dance performance followed in in 1946 at the annual event of Vishweshwarapuram Teachers’ Association. In 1956, he opened a school of his own called ‘Chittaranjani Kalakshetra’.
Even as he pursued music and dance, his father got him to work as an apprentice in the Foundry Department of the Government Engineering College in Bengaluru where he was popular as the ‘Workshop Foundry Master’.
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In 1959, one of his disciples Pushpa did her Rangapravesham at the Rasikaranjini Auditorium in Chennai. The articles in Kannada papers on this event highlighted a title - Bharatha Kalamani (gem of Indian art) - that he had been given by author K.S. Ramaswamy Sastri.
He got many offers to teach in Chennai, but refused to move out of Bengaluru.
Due to frequent performances and his teaching work load. he resigned his job in the college after 17 years.
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Even at that point, his quest for knowledge was unsatiated. He continued to learn music from Vidwan Santhalapalli.
When the then Mysore government put in place a ‘Mysore State Cultural Troupe’, Mr. Radhakrishna was invited to be the dance director of the troupe. This led to extensive travel across India for performances,
In 1963, Guru Radhakrishna’s disciple, Kumari Sudha Rama Rao, gave a grand performance at the American School Auditorium in Madurai. This led to a request from dance aspirants to visit Madurai eight days a month to impart lessons. Two months later, Kumari Sudha Rama Rao performed in Tiruchchi, Rajapalyam, Thoothukudi, and Tirunalveli. This led to an increase in the number of dance aspirants. Guru Radhakrishna spent 10 days in Madurai, 10 days in Chennai and the rest of the month in Bengaluru, and became well-known as ‘Bangalore Dance Master’.
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From 1972 to 1976, he was elected as a member of Sangeetha Natak Academy, Karnataka. In 1975, the Karnataka Government Higher Education Council elected him president of the Dance Exam Board. He served in this position till 1982.
In 1983, Karnataka Sangeetha Natak Academy awarded him with title of ‘Karnataka Kalatilaka’. He was presented several awards, including the Rajyotsava Award in 1989.
His wife Meenakshi Radhakrishna, who supported him ably throughout his career, passed away in 1993.
The final rites were performed at the Sumanahalli crematorium by his family, in the presence of his relatives, well-wishers, and his disciples.