Gopika Varma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Gopika Gopal[1] Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation(s) | Dancer, Dance teacher |
| Known for | Indian Classical Dance/Mohiniyattam |
| Awards | Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Kalaimamani |
Gopika Varma is aKerala bornMohiniyattam dancer and dance teacher who is settled inChennai,Tamil Nadu, India. She received several awards includingSangeet Natak Akademi Award,Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award and Kalaimamani.
Born and raised inThiruvananthapuram,[2] Gopika Varma migrated to Chennai from Kerala in 1995.[3] She started learning dance at the age of three, from her mother.[4] 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.[5] Gopika learned theAbhinaya (acting) part of Mohiniyattam fromKathakali exponentKalamandalam Krishnan Nair.[6] She also studiedBharathanatyam under Vazhiyur Ramayyar Pillai, for 18 years.[1]
Although her guru was Kalyanikutty Amma, Gopika Varma follows her own style in Mohiniyattam.[1] She has also performed Mohiniyattam inSopana style underKavalam Narayana Panicker.[1] She runs a Mohiniyattam Dance School inAdyar,Chennai under the name "Dasyam".[5]
Gopika Varma.[5] Other than running a dance school, she runs a shelter home for the physically challenged and a textile unit for their work.[7] She lives in her houseRamalayam in Adyar, Chennai.[8]
Gopika choreographed and performed dance namedAyonija Panchakanyaka, about five unborn virgins in Indian mythology.[1] She has performed the poemRadhayevide written bySugathakumari and composed byM. Jayachandran, in Mohiniyattam form.[1]Yamini Reddy, Kritika Subramaniam, Gopika Varma andSuhasini together choreographed and performed the dance namedAntaram.[9]Chayamukhi is another dance performance she did.[3] The dance performance on Indian mythological charactersKunti andAhalya, done as part of the celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary ofRabindranath Tagore, was also notable.[10] She is now doing a dance composition based onShankaracharya's life.[11]