Menaka thakkar biography of williams
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Lata Mangeshkar's contribution to the Indian music industry in a career spanning seven decades, awarding her titles such as the Nightingale of India & Voice of the Millennium and Queen of Melody.
Lata Mangeshkar was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. I studied with her for over twenty years, I taught in her school, I toured with her company nationally and internationally, and I eventually began to create my own works encouraged and energized by the love of choreography that she generated in me.
She was often inspired by India’s great poets, such as Rabindranath Tagore. You didn't just teach me dance; you taught me dance, devotion, discipline and dedication. Menaka-di’s impact on my own life has been immeasurable. She was virtuosic in her execution of nritta or pure dance while also being an incredibly moving performer of abhinaya or expressional dance.
The company toured internationally and performed in cities such as Houston, Tokyo and London.
Thakkar’s choreography is known to be feminist, experimental and informed by traditional Indian stories. Om Shanti. I remember one time I had come to class and because I had an activity after school and didn't get to finish my snack before dance class, you noticed right away that I seemed off.
Menaka Thakkar
Forum Kapadia (Student of Menaka Didi)
Entered February 7, 2022 from Markham
MenakaDidi, I don't even have the words to express the impact that you had in my life. For East Meets West, she collaborated with choreographer Robert Desrosiers to blend traditional Indian and Western dance styles.
In 1993 Thakkar earned an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from York University.
Her imaginative use of space, her rhythmic ingenuity, and her persuasive desire to convey stories to each and every person she met will always be remembered. She compelled a Eurocentric Canadian dance community to sit up and take notice of her art.
Menaka-di was a brilliant and beloved teacher. Thakkar collaborated with ballet and modern dance artists such as Grant Strate, Robert Desrosiers, Claudia Moore, Danny Grossman, Bengt Jörgen and Patrick Parson.
Some of the graduates of the school have gone on to join the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company, which she founded in 1978. Her presence in my life has been a profound gift.
-Natasha Bakht
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Remembering Classical Indian Artists Menaka Thakkar and Lata Mangeshkar
It is with much sadness to announce the passing of two titans of the classical Indian world; Lata Mangeshkar and Menaka Thakkar.
Her last recorded song was a rendition of the Gāyatrī Mantra at Mukesh Ambani's daughter Isha Ambani's wedding.
Learn more about our Classical Indian Dance Faculty here.
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She was without a doubt a national treasure. Thank you for sharing that your smile can light up a room no matter how dark. You cared so much for all of your students. Her conviction and commitment to living life fully as an Indian dancer in Canada nourished South Asian children in a world that was not always easy to navigate.
The Menaka Thakkar Dance Company,comprising primarily of dancers she had trained, performed her many original dance works, across Canada, the United States, India, Singapore and Japan.
She saw something of value and beauty in every child that she taught. Our sincerest condolences to all family, friends and students around the world, their memories and teachings will live on through their legacy in the Classical Indian arts.
Menaka Thakkar (March 1942 - February 2022)
Based in Toronto, Menaka Thakkar created a generation of dancers across Canada, with her teaching and choreography specializing in Bharatanatyam, Odissi, and Kuchipudi, and was credited in the Ottawa Citizen for "singlehandedly crafting a whole generation of South Asian dancers in Canada".
Thank you for showing me that your eyes can tell the story of your heart.