Reviews
Each year, the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards celebrate the lives, careers and accomplishments of some of the most recognizable names in Canada. It is always a privilege to acknowledge the contributions of those who are cultural ambassadors wherever they go. The laureates continue to dazzle us with new and innovative performances, with fantastic art from behind the scenes, and with devotion to the arts through volunteerism. Their work evokes emotions and reactions that show us the inner workings of the mind and leave us wanting more. They lay bare the hard truths and whisk us away to places of the imagination. They are the gatekeepers to our performance culture and we are thankful for their efforts, as well as the efforts of all art supporters, to create a place at home and abroad for Canadian artists, and to build our Arts Nation. As we honour these men and women for a lifetime of achievements and for their generosity, I hope that we can all learn from their success. The dreams that we have in our youth can become a reality, through skill, hard work and dedication to the craft-- whatever that might be. I congratulate all the laureates and I look forward to even more great art from them, as well as from so many other Canadians in the future.
--David Johnston, Governor General of Canada
Menaka Thakkar is truly deserving of this prize. She has had a remarkable career as an expert proponent of Indian Classical dance forms. She has also had tremendous impact as a performer, a choreographer, a collaborator with other dance forms and as the founder of a world-renowned dance school and company.
—Walter Carsen Prize Jury 2012; Lynda Gaudreau (Montreal),
Jay Hirabayashi (Vancouver), and Joysanne Sidimus (Port Hope, Ontario)
Menaka Thakkar is the most outstanding student in the purest style and tradition unsullied by
any modern innovations… Menaka Thakkar has kept in purity the structure of Bharatanatyam which many female dancers in Indian have lost or seem to have forgotten. In classical ballet of Spanish dance, or modern dance, you can learn steps by working hard for three, four or five years. To get the inner meaning, the inner phrasing of footwork, expressions, gestures – that inner spiritual grasp, where one is with God in the dance – is a different matter and it is this which Guru Kitappa Pillai has imparted to marvellous Menaka. There is such a perfection of technique, restraint, purity and simplicity in her dancing. Here in Toronto, Canada, one sees this art in its highest form performed by one of the great dancers, in its pure tradition.
—Ram Gopal
Menaka is a born teacher. She is also a living ambassador for East Indian culture with all of its colour, diversity and long-standing tradition. She has made a powerful impact on my life and my appreciation for another culture. What a wonderful contribution she has made to the
Canadian mosaic!
—Dennis F. Tupman, Past District Principal for the Performing Arts, Vancouver School School Board
An individual is applauded in any society not for one thing he or she excels in, but in everything he or she does. When I think of Dr. Menaka Thakkar, what comes to my mind is her versatility and her multidimensional personality.
—R.K. Moorthy Co-Chair, Indo-Canadian Advisory Group, Toronto
I remember the first time I saw Menaka. Her love of dance was obvious to me. I marvel at her energy and how dance, alive in the here and now, is so obviously her passion.
—Brian Webb, Canada Dance Festival, 2009
Dr. Thakkar has introduced people from diverse cultural backgrounds to the majesty of Indian dance; she also has explored how different dance forms and their ways of moving can intermingle and complement one another. We salute her for everything she has accomplished on behalf of dance and dance education in Canada.
—Norma Sue fisher-Stitt Chair, Department of Dance York University
Through all the years I have known you I have always been astounded by your energy and your dedication to the art forms you so obviously love. You have pioneered the development of Classical Indian Dance in Canada from its very beginnings to the rightful place it has earned in the cultural mosaic of this country. You continue to be an example to us all. Through all the difficulties you must have encountered on this path you have continued to be a consummate artist and an inspiring teacher.
—Grant Strate C.M. Professor Emeritus School for the Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University
Over the years, Menaka has taken many roles; she has been a teacher, a dance historian, a dance company manager, a grants writer, a choreographer, an interpreter of Indian mythology and culture, a spokeswoman for India in Canada and Canada in India. But most of all Menaka is a dancer! She is my very favourite dancer. She has brought great beauty to all her audiences countless times through the unique lyricism and energy of her dance. This contribution is truly transcendent.
—Dr. Barbara DeMott, Art Historian, Vancouver
Menaka Thakkar has been in the business for much longer than Kwan and it showed in the exquisite pacing and stagecraft of the thirty-two-minute tour de force “Shapes and Rhythms”. With a large ensemble cast of well-trained performers, Thakkar kept the visual pleasure coming with thrilling moments of full-tilt stage crossings with stamping feet contrasted slow movement that showed off the beauty of some of the classical poses. Solid and very entertaining, in many ways, “Shapes and Rhythms” was the strongest of a strong grouping by virtue of Thakkar and company’s disciplined and well-honed chops.
—Kathleen M. Smith, Dance Current, 2006 Review of Toronto International Dance Festival
Menaka Thakkar is a major figure in the Canadian dance landscape. She has trained with some of the best in India and, for years, has made their teachings accessible to the mainstream in Canada. Her work has truly enriched our collective culture.
—Robert Sirman, Canada Council for the Arts Director and CEO
A rare jewel in the richly encrusted crown of Toronto’s dance community.
—Globe and Mail
Menaka Thakkar is “the doyenne of classical Indian dance who practically single-handedly brought Bharatanatyam to the mainstream.”
—Paula Citron, Dance Critic, The Globe and Mail
Menaka Thakkar and Sudha Khandwani, two venerable sisters have radically transformed the profile of Indian Dance in Canada.
—Michael Crabbe, The National Post, 2009
Superlatives about the performance aside, it is the stunning choreography of both acts that excited me the most. Thakkar’s choreography is a consummate expression of the bharatanatyam form and much more. Her unique juxtapositions of adavus (steps), sparkling jethis (groups of steps), intricate thirmanams (sequences of jet his) and grandly executed aridis (endings of rhythmic phrases) are mind boggling even to someone who has spent years studying the form.
—Nova Bhattacharya, The Dance Current
Although Menaka Thakkar is noted as a distinguished performer and teacher of Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi, she has drawn critical attention for her innovative development of these forms. She has created a feminist interpretation of the Indian epic, Ramayana, and has worked in collaboration with such Canadian choreographers as Dana Luebke, Grant Strate, Robert Desrosiers and Claudia Moore, producing a synthesis of Indian classical and Western dance forms. Operational funding was given first to Menaka Thakkar as a solo artist in 1993 by the Canada Council for the Arts, and was later extended to her company. This clearly marked the ascension of Indian dance to a new level in Canada. The recognition of Indian dance as a bona fide system, and the increase in public support for the form due to the efforts of Thakkar, point to the invaluable contribution of this unique individual.
—The Canadian Encyclopedia
Thakkar is one of the few South Asian classical dancers who is a master of more than one South Asian dance style. The most important impression one came away with from this concert was the bevy of winsome young South Asian women who are accomplished Bharatanatyam dancers. The second thought was just how adventurous Thakkar has been in fusing Eastern and Western art forms to create a new Canadian multicultural dance hybrid. One also has to admire her skill in transforming a solo dance genre into formidable group works.
—Dance International
--David Johnston, Governor General of Canada
Menaka Thakkar is truly deserving of this prize. She has had a remarkable career as an expert proponent of Indian Classical dance forms. She has also had tremendous impact as a performer, a choreographer, a collaborator with other dance forms and as the founder of a world-renowned dance school and company.
—Walter Carsen Prize Jury 2012; Lynda Gaudreau (Montreal),
Jay Hirabayashi (Vancouver), and Joysanne Sidimus (Port Hope, Ontario)
Menaka Thakkar is the most outstanding student in the purest style and tradition unsullied by
any modern innovations… Menaka Thakkar has kept in purity the structure of Bharatanatyam which many female dancers in Indian have lost or seem to have forgotten. In classical ballet of Spanish dance, or modern dance, you can learn steps by working hard for three, four or five years. To get the inner meaning, the inner phrasing of footwork, expressions, gestures – that inner spiritual grasp, where one is with God in the dance – is a different matter and it is this which Guru Kitappa Pillai has imparted to marvellous Menaka. There is such a perfection of technique, restraint, purity and simplicity in her dancing. Here in Toronto, Canada, one sees this art in its highest form performed by one of the great dancers, in its pure tradition.
—Ram Gopal
Menaka is a born teacher. She is also a living ambassador for East Indian culture with all of its colour, diversity and long-standing tradition. She has made a powerful impact on my life and my appreciation for another culture. What a wonderful contribution she has made to the
Canadian mosaic!
—Dennis F. Tupman, Past District Principal for the Performing Arts, Vancouver School School Board
An individual is applauded in any society not for one thing he or she excels in, but in everything he or she does. When I think of Dr. Menaka Thakkar, what comes to my mind is her versatility and her multidimensional personality.
—R.K. Moorthy Co-Chair, Indo-Canadian Advisory Group, Toronto
I remember the first time I saw Menaka. Her love of dance was obvious to me. I marvel at her energy and how dance, alive in the here and now, is so obviously her passion.
—Brian Webb, Canada Dance Festival, 2009
Dr. Thakkar has introduced people from diverse cultural backgrounds to the majesty of Indian dance; she also has explored how different dance forms and their ways of moving can intermingle and complement one another. We salute her for everything she has accomplished on behalf of dance and dance education in Canada.
—Norma Sue fisher-Stitt Chair, Department of Dance York University
Through all the years I have known you I have always been astounded by your energy and your dedication to the art forms you so obviously love. You have pioneered the development of Classical Indian Dance in Canada from its very beginnings to the rightful place it has earned in the cultural mosaic of this country. You continue to be an example to us all. Through all the difficulties you must have encountered on this path you have continued to be a consummate artist and an inspiring teacher.
—Grant Strate C.M. Professor Emeritus School for the Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University
Over the years, Menaka has taken many roles; she has been a teacher, a dance historian, a dance company manager, a grants writer, a choreographer, an interpreter of Indian mythology and culture, a spokeswoman for India in Canada and Canada in India. But most of all Menaka is a dancer! She is my very favourite dancer. She has brought great beauty to all her audiences countless times through the unique lyricism and energy of her dance. This contribution is truly transcendent.
—Dr. Barbara DeMott, Art Historian, Vancouver
Menaka Thakkar has been in the business for much longer than Kwan and it showed in the exquisite pacing and stagecraft of the thirty-two-minute tour de force “Shapes and Rhythms”. With a large ensemble cast of well-trained performers, Thakkar kept the visual pleasure coming with thrilling moments of full-tilt stage crossings with stamping feet contrasted slow movement that showed off the beauty of some of the classical poses. Solid and very entertaining, in many ways, “Shapes and Rhythms” was the strongest of a strong grouping by virtue of Thakkar and company’s disciplined and well-honed chops.
—Kathleen M. Smith, Dance Current, 2006 Review of Toronto International Dance Festival
Menaka Thakkar is a major figure in the Canadian dance landscape. She has trained with some of the best in India and, for years, has made their teachings accessible to the mainstream in Canada. Her work has truly enriched our collective culture.
—Robert Sirman, Canada Council for the Arts Director and CEO
A rare jewel in the richly encrusted crown of Toronto’s dance community.
—Globe and Mail
Menaka Thakkar is “the doyenne of classical Indian dance who practically single-handedly brought Bharatanatyam to the mainstream.”
—Paula Citron, Dance Critic, The Globe and Mail
Menaka Thakkar and Sudha Khandwani, two venerable sisters have radically transformed the profile of Indian Dance in Canada.
—Michael Crabbe, The National Post, 2009
Superlatives about the performance aside, it is the stunning choreography of both acts that excited me the most. Thakkar’s choreography is a consummate expression of the bharatanatyam form and much more. Her unique juxtapositions of adavus (steps), sparkling jethis (groups of steps), intricate thirmanams (sequences of jet his) and grandly executed aridis (endings of rhythmic phrases) are mind boggling even to someone who has spent years studying the form.
—Nova Bhattacharya, The Dance Current
Although Menaka Thakkar is noted as a distinguished performer and teacher of Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi, she has drawn critical attention for her innovative development of these forms. She has created a feminist interpretation of the Indian epic, Ramayana, and has worked in collaboration with such Canadian choreographers as Dana Luebke, Grant Strate, Robert Desrosiers and Claudia Moore, producing a synthesis of Indian classical and Western dance forms. Operational funding was given first to Menaka Thakkar as a solo artist in 1993 by the Canada Council for the Arts, and was later extended to her company. This clearly marked the ascension of Indian dance to a new level in Canada. The recognition of Indian dance as a bona fide system, and the increase in public support for the form due to the efforts of Thakkar, point to the invaluable contribution of this unique individual.
—The Canadian Encyclopedia
Thakkar is one of the few South Asian classical dancers who is a master of more than one South Asian dance style. The most important impression one came away with from this concert was the bevy of winsome young South Asian women who are accomplished Bharatanatyam dancers. The second thought was just how adventurous Thakkar has been in fusing Eastern and Western art forms to create a new Canadian multicultural dance hybrid. One also has to admire her skill in transforming a solo dance genre into formidable group works.
—Dance International
