Place: Denver, Colorado
School/Organization:
Website: www.keerthannajothiraman.com
Youtube: www.youtube.com/keeths
Contact:
Email : keerthanna@gmail.com
Phone : (001) 720-202-9264
20543 E. Caley Dr ,
Centennial ,
CO - 80016
Profile and pictures posted with permission from the artist
Keerthanna Jothiraman is a Kuchipudi
dancer of unprecedented grace and intensity. She has more than 19 years of
experience in performing the art form. Keerthanna was introduced to the art of
Kuchipudi under Late Guru Smt. Chitti Durga Devi when she was 8 years old. Her
dedication and love towards the art form helped her to perform the famous Bala
Gopala Tarangam when she was 9 years old. She did her Rangapravesham at age 12
at Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan Chennai, under the auspices of Bharat Ratna Sri. C.
Subramaniam. She was blessed with the opportunity to perform lead roles in her
Guru’s dance dramas Girija Kalyanam and Bhrigu Valli. Her
passion towards choreography kindled the interest in learning nattuvangam as
well.
After the demise of her Guru in 2007,
she joined NARTANASALA school of dance run by Smt. Sathyapriya Ramana. She
spent the next 7 years learning under her Guru and performed in several dance
dramas. Notable among them were Gangavatharanam, a ballet that she has performed
several times all over India and in several roles –
as Lord Brahma , as Lord Shiva and as
Goddess Ganga and in Sri Krishna Parijatham as Lord Krishna.
Keerthanna has won several awards in
various cultural festivals and has given more than 200 performances all over
India. She was awarded the title ‘NATYA KALA POORNA’ in 2010 , received the ‘SWARNA MAYURI’ title in 2011 and won the 1st prize in the National Level
Kuchipudi Competition held in Nellore.
Inspite of her work in a reputed MNC,
Keerthanna devoted time to impart the art of Kuchipudi to the next generation
through the Saaradhi Academy Chennai. She had the opportunity to choreograph
and perform in 2 jugalbandhis , Raamayaneeyam
and Sapthatharangini.
Keerthanna is a
graded artist of Doordarshan Kendra and her performance “Sanga Vaazhvu Kalaiaagiradhu” portraying the life of women in
Tamil Sangam era received wide acclaim. This performance included verses from
Aganaanuru, Puranaanuru, Kurunthogai and Pari Paadal and the music was composed
by herself. She has learnt carnatic music for 8 years and has also performed in
music concerts under the guidance of her Guru Sri. Paramakudi S. Ravindran.
Key Performances
Kartik Fine Arts, Chennai –
1994, 2010
Sankharabharanam Trust , Mylapore
Fine Arts ,Chennai – 1994,
2002
Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha , Chennai –
1994, 1998
Ugadhi Puraskar , Chennapuri Andhra
Maha Sabha ,Chennai – 1995
,1999
Chennai Port Trust , Chennai –
1995
Indian Fine Arts Society , Chennai –
1995
Brahma Gana Sabha, Chennai –
1997, 1998, 1999
Samskara Bharathi ,Akhil Bharath
Nruthyotsav , Hyderabad – 1997
Arangetram at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,
Chennai – 1999
Sankara Jayanthi
Festival , Kanchipuram Temple – 1999
Natyothsav , Natyanjali Trust ,
Chennai – 2000
Vasanthothsav , Natyanjali Trust
,Chennai -2000
Bharath Natyotsav , Music Academy ,
Chennai – 2001
Swathi Thirunal Sabha ,
Thiruvananthapuram – 2001
All India Brahmo
Conference , Chennai – 1997
,2002
Natyanjali Trust , Vara Siddhi
Vinayaka Temple, Chennai – 2002
Nungambakkam Cultural Academy,
Chennai – 2003
, 2009
Annual Cultural Fest , NUS Cultural
Centre, Singapore – 2005
Mamallapuram Dance Festival –
2007,2013
Inaugural Celebration of the 7th Asia
Hockey Cup, Chennai – 2007
Annamacharya
Aradhana , Kuchipudi village – 2008
Poson Festival , Sri Lankan Deputy
High Commission , Chennai – 2008
Golden Temple , SriPuram , Vellore –
2008
Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam ,
Chennai – 2008,
2009
Natyanjali ,
Chidambaram – 2009
Pondycherry Governor Felicitation
Function , Chennai – 2009
Sri Padmavathi Brahmotsav , Tirupathi
– 2009
World Classical Tamil Conference ,
Kovai – 2010
Gangavatharanam
, Bangalore - 2010
Natyanjali , Perur –
2011
Raamayaneeyam, Margazhi Festival , TAG
Auditorium – 2012
Margazhi Festival, Mahalingapuram
Ayyapan Temple – 2012
All India Radio
, Ugadi Celebrations – 2013
Sapthatharangini , Museum Theatre Chennai - 2013