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Gopika Varma
Born	Gopika Gopal Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Nationality	Indian
Occupation(s)	Dancer, Dance teacher
Known for	Indian Classical Dance/ Mohiniyattam
Awards	Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Kalaimamani

Gopika Varma is a Kerala born Mohiniyattam dancer and dance teacher who is settled in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She received several awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award and Kalaimamani.

Biography

Born and raised in Thiruvananthapuram, Gopika Varma migrated to Chennai from Kerala in 1995. She started learning dance at the age of three, from her mother. At the age of 10, Gopika started learning Mohiniyattam from Girija and Chandrika Kurup and later she received specialized training from Kalyanikutty Amma and her daughter, Sreedevi Rajan. Gopika learned the Abhinaya (acting) part of Mohiniyattam from Kathakali exponent Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair. She also studied Bharathanatyam under Vazhiyur Ramayyar Pillai, for 18 years.

Although her guru was Kalyanikutty Amma, Gopika Varma follows her own style in Mohiniyattam. She has also performed Mohiniyattam in Sopana style under Kavalam Narayana Panicker. She runs a Mohiniyattam Dance School in Adyar, Chennai under the name "Dasyam".

Personal life

Gopika Varma. Other than running a dance school, she runs a shelter home for the physically challenged and a textile unit for their work. She lives in her house Ramalayam in Adyar, Chennai.

Notable dance performances

Gopika choreographed and performed dance named Ayonija Panchakanyaka, about five unborn virgins in Indian mythology. She has performed the poem Radhayevide written by Sugathakumari and composed by M. Jayachandran, in Mohiniyattam form. Yamini Reddy, Kritika Subramaniam, Gopika Varma and Suhasini together choreographed and performed the dance named Antaram. Chayamukhi is another dance performance she did. The dance performance on Indian mythological characters Kunti and Ahalya, done as part of the celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, was also notable. She is now doing a dance composition based on Shankaracharya's life.

Awards and honours

• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2018
• Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award 2008
• Kalaimamani 2004 She is the first dancer to receive Kalaimamani for Mohiniyattam.
• Nritya Choodamani Award 2010 from Krishna Gana Sabha
• Abhinaya Kala Ratna Excellence Award
• Sathya Abhinaya Sundaram 2007
• Kaladarpanam Award 2003
• Yuva Kala Bharathi award by Bharat Kalachar 2001. She is the first Mohiniyattam dancer to receive this award.
• Outstanding Performance Award by the House of Commons – London 2003
• Satya Abinaya Sundaram
• Natya Kala Vipanchee
• Rajakeeya Puraskaram

References

1. ^ "ഗോപികാ വസന്തം". Janmabhumi.
2. "Teacher's pride,performer's envy". The New Indian Express.
3. ^ ശശിധരന്‍, ശബ്‌ന. "മോഹിനിയാട്ടത്തെ സ്വന്തം പ്രാണനോടൊപ്പം ചേര്‍ത്ത് വയ്ക്കുന്നവര്‍". Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
4. Kumar, Ranee (23 August 2019). "Mohiniattam dancer Gopika Varma's crowning glory". The Hindu.
5. ^ "GOPIKA VARMA - www.artindia.net – Indian classical performing arts". www.artindia.net.
6. "'Sway Like the Green Fields of Kerala'". The New Indian Express.
7. ^ Ganesh, Agila (24 June 2018). "The art of dance". Deccan Chronicle.
8. "Chennai is home to some of the mourning 'royals' of Travancore". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
9. "നാലു ഗോപികമാരുടെ അന്തരം രൂപാന്തരം". ManoramaOnline.
10. "I want to spread joy through dance: Gopika Varma". Deccan Chronicle. 10 April 2012. Archived from the original on 10 April 2012.
11. "Philosophy on stage: when a Mohiniyattam exponent read Shankaracharya". OnManorama.
12. Kumar, Ranee (1 August 2019). "Gopika Varma bags the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Mohiniyattam dance". The Hindu.
13. "Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award: Dance". Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
14. Varma, Dr Anjana. "Gopika Varma speaks about transforming hurt to motivation". Mathrubhumi.
15. ^ "Gopika Varma | The Raza Foundation". www.therazafoundation.org.
16. "NAFO KALALAYAM – Nafoglobal Kuwait".
17. "Dance festival opens with Mohiniyattam". Hindustan Times. 23 August 2014.

• Indian female classical dancers
• Mohiniyattam exponents
• Living people
• Dancers from Kerala
• Women artists from Kerala
• 20th-century Indian dancers
• 20th-century Indian women artists
• Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
• Recipients of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award