14°c Light rain showers
13°c Variable cloudiness
The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Classical Indian dancer Menaka Thakkar nabs $30,000 Walter Carsen Prize
OTTAWA - Renowned classical Indian dancer Menaka Thakkar has won this year's Canada Council Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts.
The founder and artistic director of the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company in Toronto nabbed the $30,000 honour on Tuesday.
Named after Toronto businessman and philanthropist Walter Carsen, the award honours Canadian artists who have spent the major part of their career at home working in dance, theatre or music.
The Canada Council for the Arts administers the prize, usually annually on a four-year cycle: dance, theatre, dance, music.
A peer assessment committee choose Thakkar as this year's winner, citing her "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," committee members Lynda Gaudreau, Jay Hirabayashi and Joysanne Sidimus said in a statement.
Thakkar is also principal choreographer at her large ensemble dance company, which she founded in 1978 and has since toured around the world.
She is also founder of Nrtyakala Canadian Academy of Indian Dance, Canada's first full-scale Indian dance school.
Her choreographies have offered variations on traditional or classical Indian dance forms and incorporated contemporary and fusion elements.
Thakkar currently teaches Indian dance at Canada's National Ballet School.
More The Arts
- Back to Top
- Return to The Arts
More The Arts
(1 of 13 articles for this week)
Topless Arthur painting fetches $1.9M at auction
1:00 AM 0
Poll
Most Popular The Arts
- Topless Arthur painting fetches $1.9M at auction
- Winnipeg play shines light into cells of women awaiting trial
- Graphic play real story of aboriginal incarceration
- At this community art auction (volunteer) time really is money
- Winnipeg Arts Council honouring Brownstone for lifetime achievement
- WAG 100: Picasso
- Home is where the art is
- The Buzz
- He works hard for the Monet
- Sam Beam, aka Iron and Wine, to play Pantages this fall
- Winnipeg play shines light into cells of women awaiting trial
- Winnipeg theatre talent graces stages across country
- Sam Beam, aka Iron and Wine, to play Pantages this fall
- He works hard for the Monet
- Brown's art frightfully, well, frightening
- Winnipeg Arts Council honouring Brownstone for lifetime achievement
- Class of 2013
- Home is where the art is
- Topless Arthur painting fetches $1.9M at auction
- Graphic play real story of aboriginal incarceration
- Winnipeg play shines light into cells of women awaiting trial
- Little-known novel named Manitoba book of year
- Atwood's 'powerful story' inspires RWB season opener
- Body-snatching tale bloody good
- Not quite a bohemian rhapsody, but it has a definite kick
- Winnipeg theatre talent graces stages across country
- Class of 2013
- Champion figure skater loves pre-Olympic push from Canadian fans
- Bloodless, sweat and tears pay off
- Financial tale offers low return on emotions
- He works hard for the Monet
- Sam Beam, aka Iron and Wine, to play Pantages this fall
- Winnipeg play shines light into cells of women awaiting trial
- Home is where the art is
- Winnipeg theatre talent graces stages across country
- Graphic play real story of aboriginal incarceration
- Atwood's 'powerful story' inspires RWB season opener
- He works hard for the Monet
- Not quite a bohemian rhapsody, but it has a definite kick
- Little-known novel named Manitoba book of year
- Almost ripe
- Risk pays off in challenging, rewarding play
- Winnipeg theatre talent graces stages across country
- Atwood’s best-known tale makes pointe in RWB adaptation
- Step up! Kidsfest has whole cat and kaboodle
- Sam Beam, aka Iron and Wine, to play Pantages this fall
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.