CLASSICAL INDIAN DANCE
Kathakali dancer Ananda Shivaram charmed audiences the world over.
Louise Lightfoot studied ancient Kathakali dance-drama at Kerala Kalamandalam in 1939, the first Australian or Western woman to do so. During World War 2, she then studied other forms of classical Indian dance including Bharata Natyam, Kathak and Manipuri.
Lightfoot helped revive the low state of Indian dance at that time, particularly through her widely read articles in the Indian press.
Already a ballet producer, Lightfoot helped show Kathakali, in the person of Ananda Shivaram and others, to the rest of India, then introduced Kathakali to the Western world - Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, England Japan, USA and Canada.
Lightfoot helped revive the low state of Indian dance at that time, particularly through her widely read articles in the Indian press.
Already a ballet producer, Lightfoot helped show Kathakali, in the person of Ananda Shivaram and others, to the rest of India, then introduced Kathakali to the Western world - Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, England Japan, USA and Canada.
KATHAKALI dance drama is still the traditional art form of Kerala State, South India.
Traditional Kathakali performed by Kerala Kalamandalam in Sydney, May 2010.
photo Mary Lightfoot
MANIPURI DANCE of Manipur State, North East India.
Louise Lightfoot studied and taught the better known forms of Bharata Natyam and Kathak (Northern Court dance), and later the distinctive Manipuri dance from North East India, about which she wrote the book Dance Rituals of Manipur, India and recorded a disc of traditional Manipuri music on Folkway records.
Copies of the book Dance Rituals of Manipur, India are available via the contact form on this website.
Manipuri Dance of Manipur State, North
East India, demonstrated here by
Ibetombi Devi (right) pictured with
Ananda Shivaram in Manipuri costume
during a tour of Australia and New
Zealand, circa 1958.
