2015
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Leela Samson is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, instructor, writer and actress from India. She has taught and performed across the world, received several awards and was involved in controversies as the chairperson of the CBFC and the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
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Leela Samson was born on Sunday, 6 May 1951 (age 71 years; as of 2022) in Coonoor, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. Her zodiac sign is Taurus. She completed her schooling at Besant Theosophical High School, Varanasi, India. Leela SamsonLeela completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Sophia College for Women in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Leela’s father was a Jew, and her mother is a Catholic Christian. In an interview, she talked about her views on being a Hindu and said,
Bharatanatyam dancer
In 1961, Leela, at the age of nine, was sent by her father to Kalakshetra, an art and cultural academy in Chennai, so that she could receive training in Indian classical dance and music. Leela received her training from the founder of Kalakshetra, Rukmini Devi Arundale, who was a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer. Leela started her career as a Bharatanatyam soloist. Later, she started tutoring the Indian classical dance form at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, Delhi, and Gandharva...
Author
Leela authored the book titled ‘Rhythm in Joy: Classical Indian Dance Traditions,’ which was published in 1987, and it was based on the classical dance forms of India. In 2010, Leela published a biography on the life of her mentor titled ‘Rukmini Devi,’ which was derived from her letters, which Leela found in the Kalakshetra records.
Founder
Leela Samson founded Spanda Dance Company in September 1995, which presents compositions choreographed by her and explores diverse forms of Bharatanatyam. The idea of launching Spanda came up in Leela’s mind after she presented a group dance performance in Delhi, which was highly appreciated by the audience.
Favouritism by the Congress-led UPA government
In 1980, Leela Samson taught dance to Priyanka Gandhi in New Delhi. Reportedly, Leela shared a good relationship with Sonia Gandhi. It was rumoured that Leela was favoured by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government due to which she held some key positions including Chairperson of CBFC, Director of Kalakshetra Foundation, and Chairperson of Sangeet Natak Akademi, etc. In an interview, Leela denied the accusation and said,
Criticized for not worshipping the idol of Lord Ganesha
In 1993, during a performance of Leela Samson at Siri Fort in New Delhi, she didn’t perform the ritual of worshipping Lord Ganesha before presenting her dance performance following which she was criticized. Usually, Bharatanatyam dancers begin their performance by offering prayer to Lord Ganesha. In an interview, on being asked about the same, Leela said,
Removal of Lord Ganesha’s Idols and Nataraja statues from Kalakshetra
In 2008, after being appointed as the director of Kalakshetra, an art and cultural academy in Chennai, Leela got Lord Ganesha’s idols and the Nataraja statues removed from the campus. Reportedly, Kalakshetra’s logo was changed during her tenure, and Lord Ganesha’s image was removed from it. People started bashing Leela for being an ‘anti-Hindu.’ In an interview, Leela responded to being remarked as an anti-Hindu and said,
1982:Sanskriti Award1990:Padma Shri Award, the fourth highest civilian honour in India, in recognition of her contribution to the Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam1997:Nritya Choodamani Award2000:Sangeet Natak Akademi Award2005:Kalaimamani Award by the Government of Tamil Nadu2015:Natya Kala Acharya Award from the Music Academy, ChennaiLeela Samson is fondly called Leela Akka by her students. Spanda Dance Company – InstagramLeela Samson performed her Arangetram ceremony in 1970 in Bombay; an Arangetram ceremony marks the completion of a dancer’s formal training and the debut performance of a classical dancer on stage...In May 1985, Leela Samson performed with her guru Rukmini Devi Arundale in China.Leela Samson with Rukmini Devi Arundale while touring ChinaIn August 2003, Leela taught Bharatanatyam to students for a UK show, Past Forward, at the Royal Opera House and Covent Garden, London.In an interview, Leela revealed that she wanted to pursue her career in the medical field, and she aspired to become a surgeon, but her teachers encouraged her to take dancing as a career. In an in...Two films have been documented on Leela Samson’s life, Sanchari (1991) by Arun Khopkar, and The Flowering Tree by Ein Lall (2020).Leela Samson is a versatile artist who has trained in Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra and performed solo and group dances worldwide. She has also written books on Indian classical dance, acted in films, and served as the chairperson of CBFC and Kalakshetra Foundation.
Oct 9, 2015 · Watch Leela Samson, a Padmashri awardee and a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, perform Tillana, the concluding piece in a classical dance. Learn about her background, style, choreography and achievements in this video description.
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- WildFilmsIndia
Mar 22, 2021 · A profile of veteran Bharatanatyam dancer Leela Samson, who has forged a career in cinema, teaching and administration. She shares her journey, challenges and vision as an artist and a seeker.
Watch a video of Leela Samson, a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer, performing Padam, a classical dance form. Learn about her achievements, style and background from the video description and the source link.
- 6 min
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- WildFilmsIndia
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Mar 14, 2024 · Padma Shri Leela Samson, a renowned Bharatanatyam exponent, shares her journey from dance to acting and her upcoming film, Jananam 1947 Pranayam Thudarunnu. She talks about her challenges, preferences and views on portraying elderly women in cinema.
Leela Samson is among India's most dynamic and technically brilliant dancers, an outstanding representative of Kalakshetra, the famed institute for the class...
- 14 min
- 69K
- WildFilmsIndia
